Change in Direction
by Tasha Ashes
Summary: But it was that smirk that made me realize that it was definitely the same Sasuke regardless of his godlike body. He was still his ignorant, cocky, completely amazing self... the only thing that had changed was the fact that he chose to sit beside me. AU
1. Chapter 1

**Prologue**

Sakura Haruno's POV

It's a funny thing, how your whole perspective, your whole personality changes when you reach high school. Well, at least it did for me.

I was one of those girls who grew up in a so-called "sheltered" community in Jacksonville, Florida. You know, the higher-class, rich neighborhood where there were never any parties or gangs, and in elementary school you learned things like "drugs are bad" and "wait until you're with the one you love for sex." We were spoiled kids that were hidden from the true "horrors"- for lack of a better word- of the world.

I think _that_ was the main reason why so many things changed when I went into grade nine; the fact that I had no experience with what was thrown at me- because in elementary school, to me, I had a perfect life.

I was at the top of the food chain- pretty and popular, with good grades, money, and an aspiration to become a doctor. I even had a boyfriend, Moji. Except boyfriend wasn't the exact word to use; because dating in the eighth grade- in the upper class Atlantic Beach neighborhood- consisted only of flirting and holding hands with rare dates and hardly any PDA. But at the time, a boyfriend was the _in_ thing to have. And I had to have everything in elementary school.

I go under the category of the 'girls who are gushed about by parents' in terms of beauty, where no one really says out loud how pretty you look except for parents- mostly friend's parents. In my case, tall, thin, clean skin, and big green eyes summed it up- the only thing I don't like about the way I look is my forehead, which is slightly larger than the norm- it doesn't help that my best friend, Ino likes to call me 'billboard-brow' (which goes hand in hand with my nickname for her: Ino-pig). But I just cover my forehead up with bangs (as Teen Vogue says to do in a forehead situation like mine), because I didn't let a slightly larger forehead stop me from having the perfect life in middle school (though I'm not going to even start on what I think of my hair…).

What _did _stop me was, yet again, high school.

Because there were many high schools in Jacksonville, the community- made up of those from my elementary school- was split up. The school I decided to go to was one known for its athletics and academics- basically a normal high school, but with an ambitious reputation. Only a handful decided to attend this school, mostly because it was a tad farther away from our neighborhood, but I was accompanied by Ino, while the rest scattered themselves to the many other schools provided in Jacksonville.

So not only did I enter high school not really knowing anyone (except for Ino), I entered inexperienced of what I call "the bad shit list".

Partying, smoking, drugs, drinking, and sex were included in this list, and they all surprised me after middle school graduation. Actually, in ninth grade, they terrified me. And even if I didn't do any of these things, I had to adapt. I found my own group of friends, and even found a new crush, Naruto.

In grade 10, I was still single, and unsure how to even ask Naruto out. Naruto was one of the popular guys, meaning he participated in the events of the bad shit list, but he didn't seem as hardcore as the others. He was loud, funny, the class clown, and sometimes very sweet, which readily provoked me as well as half of the female population to have a crush on him. So I did the only thing I knew how to do when it comes to crushes, and that was to flirt with him. And hey, Naruto was single and he flirted back, so I actually had a chance. But then again, he flirted with a lot of girls.

I wouldn't consider myself a loser at high school, nor would I think I was popular. I think I was in the middle- known adequately, but not enough to be in the eye of society. And the eye of society's virtues seemed very different from what I was used to. First off, to be thought of as pretty was to dress in clothes that barely cover your skin. Second, to be cool was to not follow any sort of conduct or rules. And third, the part that kept me from sinking to the bottom of the food chain, was money.

So I guess I had it easy before high school. But it seems that, once I entered high school, Life decided to take my perfect life and swap it for a sucky one, saying 'Deal with it, Princess.' As a result, there were constant changes. I became a lot shyer and lost some self- confidence. Ino was trying to become popular and we seemed more distant to each other than in elementary school. My marks went down a little, and my sister, Puriti, decided to go to the University of Miami, leaving me to be an only child. One of the worst changes though, was in my cat.

Samuel has been my cat for 7 years, so I got him when I was ten. He was a cute little grey tabby and he acted like basically any other domestic cat- but note how I say 'was' and 'acted' in the past tense. A couple of weeks after I started grade nine Samuel started to neglect his food. We thought it was just that he got bored of the brand we were feeding him, but after trying out many other cat foods, and after Samuel got really thin, we decided to take him to the vet. At first the vet said that he was having the symptoms of early kidney failure and we thought 'okay, that's not good, but at least it's something we can treat'. But after weeks of treating for kidney failure, and Sammy hadn't gotten any better, the vet did a re-diagnosis and deemed that my cat, Samuel, did not have kidney failure, but in fact, was anorexic. Weird, I know, but true. Something got into my crazy little cat's mind, and now he is anorexic. Samuel the anorexic cat. No longer a cute playful kitten, but a skinny, frail (but adorable in his own way), grumpy, seven-year old cat.

But my cat wasn't _even_ the worst change.

The absolute worst was with my parents. I don't think their marriage is working out to well because they're mostly arguing and yelling and my dad is usually unhappy. My mom is a bitch, excuse my language, and she starts these stupid arguments and makes up these random rules that completely throw everything off- including my dad's temper. Now, my dad isn't one to get angry, he is actually a very calm and kind man- the type of dad that likes to sit on the couch and watch golf and gets excited if you decide to come watch the game with him and then takes you out for ice cream 'just because'. Anyways, my mom just makes him a loose cannon and I usually sneak to my room in those rare moments when this happens so I can avoid being in the eye of the storm. I think he's still in love with my mom, even though she is, as I said before, a complete bitch now. I sometimes wonder why they don't just split up if they're both so unhappy, I mean everything has already changed in my life, what can one more do?

The answer is a lot, if you think about it. I know everything has gone topsy-turvy, but it's finally starting to plateau, which is good, and another change will get it spiraling out of control again, which is bad.

But what type of story would this be if it _didn't_ go spiraling out of control again? A bad one, I'll tell you that. So to make this story a lot more interesting, Life has decided to add another change to the list (not that there aren't enough already)- and I can't say it's a bad one.

No longer will I be an average, unpopular, seventeen-year old in grade eleven, with only a handful of friends, an anorexic cat, and two parents at war.

Why?

Because Sasuke Uchiha moved to Atlantic Beach.

**End Prologue**

**Chapter 1**

I hate the first day of school. I find it so awkward coming back and reuniting with everybody. I mean, people who you barely even know start talking to you about their summer as if you're their best friend. And then they give a "welcome back" hug- which are the worst. This all happens for about three days until everyone goes back to their respective cliques and pretends that you don't exist again.

Anyways, I figured out that if you arrive 5 minutes before you have to be in class, then you can avoid all the weird introductions- or reintroductions. You don't get to check the class list as thoroughly, but it is better then hugging every person you see.

So, after quickly checking what my homeroom class was, I raced up to the part in the hall where my friends and I decided to have our lockers this year. Sure enough, there was an empty one in beside Ino's, which is exactly where I placed my lock. Okay, now back down to my new homeroom.

I smelled the distinctive odor that came from the art room 11C- paint. That's right- my homeroom is art class. Surprisingly, at a school that's ambitious for academics and athletics- almost everyone takes art or drama, mostly because it's a slacker period and you hardly do any work- basically a spare period to do other homework in. Once I entered the class, I scanned the room for anyone I knew, and relief washed through me as I saw Hinata sitting alone at one of the tables. Hinata and I became friends in the ninth grade because we both were two of the very few people who decided to _not _participate in the bad shit list. Coincidently, it was in art class when we first met, when we were assigned a two-person project. Anyways, to put Hinata in a nutshell, I would say she is quiet, shy, unbelievably kind, tends to stutter, super moral, has a cousin that goes here in the same grade but is popular (and by now, I think you know what being popular means), her mother died when she was little and her father is so strict that I haven't even been to her house yet even though she's one of my best friends. That's Hinata in a nutshell.

As I walked over to her, at least three more people stopped, hugged me and asked me how my summer was (my reply being for all of them "Oh, mine was good, how about you?"). And even as I sat down and a couple of others joined me at the table, I still had to give hugs. I find these hugs so pointless. You barely know the person and the exchange is hardly genuine. I should make a vow to give up hugs- they are way too annoying. Except I did let Hinata hug me, after all she is one of my actual friends. So maybe the vow only applies to people who I don't really know…

As we waited for the anthem to play on the P.A, we chatted about how our summer was and what subjects we picked, etc. I didn't really listen with as much enthusiasm as the others, but put in the occasional "Oh! That's cool!" and "Sweet," where appropriate. The national anthem played, and no one sang, as usual. The teacher hadn't entered at this point but when she did walk in, I had a pretty good idea of what the rest of the year was going to be like. A mix between weird and, well, I don't even know what it would be mixed with. She was new to the school, and you could tell that by the way she dressed. Ms. Lunids had very long, wavy, blonde hair that looked like it hadn't been brushed in about a month. She had tiny spectacles, about 10 beaded necklaces, and wore colourful, baggy clothing that looked like they were bought from a grandma's garage sale, even though she looked like she was in her late twenties.

Well, that's cool I guess- we have a hippy as our art teacher.

"Good morning, children," She greeted in a calm (very calm) but cheery voice. "I am Ms. Lunids, and I welcome you to grade 11 art class."

Hinata and I exchanged looks, wondering why someone like this is teaching art and not hosting some happy preschool TV show.

"Today I thought that we would start off with a project that would symbolize you, and channel your expression into your art. We are going to create your very own personal symbol," she continued, saying the last part like it was something magical. "But before I get you all excited, we should take attendance."

She then proceeded to call out the names on the attendance list. I zoned out for most of them until my name was called or when someone new to the school was announced and Ms. Lunids gave them a small introduction. So far, none of the new kids seemed interesting. But just when I was deciding that this was going to be another boring school year, Ms. Lunids called on someone that, in time, would become very significant to me: Sasuke Uchiha.

At first, I didn't even look up- I had given up on the excitement that the new kids should bring and sought to pull out my ipod instead, while still vaguely listening to the introduction.

"Well, Sasuke," Ms. Lunids started, "how are you liking Florida so far?"

"Hn." Replied an unfamiliar deep voice- one that I automatically assumed was Sasuke's.

"And did the moving go okay?"

"Hn."

"Have you made any friends yet?"

"Hn." The voice replied for the third time. I could hear a couple of students snickering at his unresponsiveness.

"That's lovely," Ms. Lunids genuinely answered with a smile- which was a little weird.

When even more students started snickering I decided to find out who exactly this Sasuke person was, because by hearing just a glimpse of his attitude, I could tell he would be the next big gossip.

When I found the form of Sasuke Uchiha I immediately decided to take back my vow of not hugging people ever again. I seriously thought my jaw hit the floor- he was _gorgeous_. Pale skin, black untamed hair, perfect aristocrat features, and from where I could see, he was _ripped_. And it seemed he already was well-liked, for he was amidst a group of ogling girls and the more popular guys.

I watched as someone from his group asked him a question. In return, Sasuke turned and steadily scanned the classroom. The next thing I knew he had caught my gaze- or rather, caught me staring at him- with pitch black eyes. I didn't realize that my mouth was agape until after he gave a small smirk and continued with answering the question he was asked. I immediately flushed a deep red and turned back to the girls I was sitting with. They had the same expression I had- apparently I wasn't the only one who thought he was drool-worthy material. Now, I'm not one who is boy- crazy (you know, the ones that scout for guys, talk about them, flirt like crazy and have new crushes every week, cough-Ino-cough)…

Well that defiantly changed.

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Art is stupid. My teacher is a loser. We spent the whole time trying to find our inner selves by drawing to music (hardly anytime to slack off)- but I couldn't stop thinking about Sasuke. It wasn't my fault though- every other girl in the classroom was thinking the exact same thing as me. I could tell from the far off look in their eyes as they pretended to draw. In the end, I had only one small doodle that very suspiciously looked like the outline of a guy. A very hot, new guy to be exact. Oh well. I can do this project later.

The class ended when Ms. Lunids handed out our schedules for the rest of the year. The first thing I did when I received mine was compare it Hinata's, and figured out that on day one we had art and business together, and on day two we had math and English together. The rest of my schedule went as followed:

Day 1: Art, English, Lunch, Instrumental, and Biology.

Day 2: English Media, Math, Lunch, Spanish, and Chemistry.

The second period bell rang and I was off to English. I hoped that Ino would be there, so I could tell her about Sasuke Uchiha.

But English class ended up being very boring. Maybe it was because Ino wasn't there- or any of my other friends for that matter. We got sheets and forms for our parents to sign and we played a stupid spelling game. I just read a book at my desk…well, tried to read, because I never absorbed any of the words. My thoughts kept drifting to Sasuke, _again_.

It was actually _very_ annoying. He was just a regular guy who probably will flirt his way into some girl's pants, but I just can't stop thinking about him. I mean, I just met him like half an hour ago- actually I didn't even _meet _him- I just made eye contact with him, then he gave me a small smile, which wasn't really a smile but a smirk, but still it was really hot and I remember not being able to breath and –why am I still thinking about him?

Ugh.

I need to get him out of my head. I bet I'm just delusional from lack of food; I mean I _did_ forget breakfast, and breakfast is the most important meal of the day. So food. That's most definitely the reason. I need food.

Wrong- Food was not the answer. It just kept my brain functioning enough to process thoughts about- guess who? Stupid- really- good-looking person that I haven't even met.

So, not only was I annoying myself, but I also was embarrassing myself. We were eating lunch by our lockers (where we usually do… "we" being Ino, Hinata, and a couple other friends) and Ino was talking about how her math class was. This is how it went:

Ino: So yeah, I hate my english teacher, he made a seating plan AND gave us homework- on the first day!

Hinata: shy giggle

Ino: But the seating plan wasn't bad- the teach put me really close to this gorgeous guy. He was so hot! What was his name? Sake or something?

Me: Oh My God! Sasuke Uchiha- you saw him!?

Now how fangirlish does that sound?

And I am definitely _not_ a fangirl. Especially over some guy.

But, as it's turning out, it seems like I might become one pretty soon (and I don't want that, _at all_). I mean, it's only lunchtime of the first day of school, and I'm already obsessed with a complete stranger. But when I think of his eyes and his hair and his _body_- who wouldn't be?

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I wouldn't really be taking instrumental if it wasn't for my stupid self thinking that in grade 9, playing the flute was totally cool. I begged my dad to get me one, and he only agreed to if I took instrumental _all four years _of high school. I really didn't see at the time how much of a commitment that was, and am now stuck taking the course for the third time in a row.

Right now though, I'm a little grateful to my stupid grade 9 self, because Instrumental was a definite relief. I walked into the classroom where, right away, we were given our seating plan. Since I play the flute, I was closer to the right of the classroom. To my left are more flutes, to my right are clarinets, and behind me are the trumpets- and Naruto plays the trumpet. That's why instrumental was a relief.

"Hey Sakura!" Speak of the devil- Something squirmed in my stomach as I turned to see the very loud, blue- eyed trumpet player.

"Hi Naruto, how was your summer?" I answered quickly, trying to fight down the stupid butterflies fluttering around my insides.

"Awesome! My friend moved over here in the summer! Have you seen him yet?"

"Er, what's his name?" I asked, although I think I had a pretty good idea who it was.

"It's Sasuke- total bastard but completely awesome."

Can I not go an hour without this guy entering my mind? I guess not. Oh well, that explained why Sasuke was already so popular; he was friends with Naruto (it could also be the fact that Sasuke is incredibly good- looking).

"Yeah, he's in my art class," I replied, trying to pretend that it wasn't a big deal that I saw him. But when a huge smile formed across Naruto's face, I couldn't help but smile as well.

"You _did_ meet him! Our families went on a cruise together this summer, it was so cool!" I now noticed that Naruto was even more tanned than he usually is- I guess he got that from the cruise. But then why is Sasuke really pale? I mean, he had to be out in the sun sometime- what about swimming? The thought of Sasuke swimming without a top on entered my mind, and I wanted to drool. But as Naruto passed by my seat, he stumbled and his hand landed on my shoulder for balance. A small tingle crawled up my arm to the place he touched and my mind went blank. Sasuke who?

"Sorry Sakura!" Naruto apologized as he continued past me.

"Wha- oh. No problem." I giggled nervously. He was in his seat now and I had turned around to face him.

"Anyway," Naruto continued, "I don't know if Sasuke will stay though, at lunch, he was bitching about something or another," (No! Sasuke can't leave! I haven't even met him yet!) "I really hope he stays though- Sasuke is like the king of parties!" I knew I was right when I said he would flirt his way into some girl's pants. Someone that hot obviously goes to parties and has got to be another member of the bad shit list.

It was then that the teacher decided to start the class and I had to unfortunately take my attention away from the blue- eyed trumpet player. The first class consisted of nothing of interest- just more forms that needed to be signed and activity fees needing to be paid. In the end, Naruto and I had a handful of conversations- which was great, because I didn't think of Sasuke once during that time. So that was why instrumental was a relief- I had a breath of fresh air from Sasuke. But I was about to suffocate from him in Biology.

When I walked into the science classroom, I didn't notice him at first- he was blocked by a wall of people, most of them girls- one in particular I really didn't like- Karin.

Karin is the sort of girl who is somewhat popular, but a major poser. She will do anything and everything she can to be popular- meaning she's dressed in the skimpiest clothing possible, she buys all the latest trends, goes to everyone's parties, and knows at least one vital piece of gossip about everyone. It's like she has a talent for tracking down anything 'cool' and making sure that whatever it is, it will be hers. I once had to do a project with her in grade 10 and I basically had to do all the work while she was a bitch and did who knows what. Anyways, Karin poser. Knowing that, it's not surprising to see her in the group surrounding Sasuke.

It was after I sat down though when I finally noticed him behind the ogling-girl-barrier. He was a lot closer this time, and WOW, he is so gorgeous. I contemplated joining the other people surrounding him, but I had enough common sense to know that doing that would make me into another one of those stupid, gaggling girls (cough-Karin)- and I definitely didn't want to be one of those. I might have been one of those girls in middle school, but that was before I realized how idiotic I must have looked.

I was once again daydreaming about Sasuke when Ino sat down beside me. Well, at least I had a friend to distract me from _him. _But, noooooooo. The first thing Ino said was,

"Oh, isn't that new guy so gorgeous!"

My reply was somewhat muffled by the hand my chin was resting on, "Mmhmm…" Then I think Ino continued to talk, but I wasn't really listening. Instead I was off in my own world. My own Sasuke + Sakura world, to be exact. It was when the teacher entered a while later that I snapped out of my daze. Our biology teacher, Mr. Kakashi, was one of my favourite teachers. He made the work fun, didn't have a seating plan, and he also had a reputation for being late (which means more free time). Which he was right now- it was 10 minutes past the start of the period. There is also a rumor that the book he is always found reading is a porno book. I'm not sure whether to believe that or not.

As Mr. Kakashi talked about this and that, I tried my hardest to resist the urge to stare at Sasuke, but then again, I never had much willpower. So my head slowly swiveled in the direction of Mr. Gorgeous and I stared. I don't know how long I stared for, but Sasuke soon turned his head to have green eyes meet black. I snapped my head so hard in the other direction that I think I gave myself whiplash. I forced myself to look out the window for the rest of the period.

During that time, I noticed it was raining. Which sucked. My hair was naturally curly, but I straightened it everyday so no one would see it that way. And when I went swimming I made sure it was in an extra tight bun so no one could see any evidence of curls. I hate my hair curly. So rain is bad. And rain means wearing your hood which makes you look dorky. I bet Sasuke could pull off a hood and look good- and imagining Sasuke wearing a hood made me realize I was staring at him again. My friends and I have a joke that if I don't focus on my actions, my inner- self will take control, which is probably why I was unconsciously staring at him. Which is bad. And my inner- self apparently wants Sasuke. Which is also bad.

So, I finally got through class by focusing on not looking at Sasuke. When the bell did ring, I grabbed my books quickly and was determined to leave before I found myself dumbly staring at Mr. Gorgeous again. But Sasuke was heading out the door in front of me, and I couldn't resist the inner- me because the real me wanted to "accidentally" brush against him while walking by too. So I did. I picked up my pace just a little more until I felt my shoulder softly connect with his. You know in instrumental when Naruto put his hand on my shoulder and there was a tingle?

Well this was like a shock.

I ended up dropping all of my books and papers (embarrassing), and getting half trampled by the rest of the students who were leaving the classroom (very embarrassing). Well that was just great. Ino didn't even help me pick up my books, I bet she went trailing after Sasuke, which I would never have done (well, not publicly).

After trudging to my locker to grab my raincoat, I trudged to my car, a silver Ford Escape. I wanted one of the smaller cars, but since I went to high school, I learned I was lucky to even have a car this nice. Or have a car, period.

I was waiting in my Ford in the line to exit the parking lot when I saw Sasuke leave in his car. His navy blue Maserati Diablo (which meant he must have a hell of a lot of money to buy a car like that _and_ cover the insurance). I watched him leave the parking lot and even after he was out of sight, I kept staring. I didn't even realize my foot was on the pedal until a loud "HONK!" made its way to my ears. On impulse, I slammed on the breaks (and swore). Good thing too (the breaking, not the swearing), or else I would have nicked the car ahead of me. I drove extra cautiously on the way home just in case any Sasuke- involved obstacles came my way.

I pulled into the driveway of my house next to my sister's car. The house I live in is yellow and white and pretty big. It had 5 bedrooms (two of which are used as my parents' offices), 4 bathrooms, 3 walk- in closets, 2 stories, and 1 hot tub in the backyard. I wanted a pool but my dad says that we have our very own pool 2 blocks away, also known as the ocean (haha dad, you are so funny. Not.). Anyway, my room is on the second floor with one of the walk- in closets. I have a bathroom that connects to my sister's room, and a small ladder that leads to the attic (though I'm too scared to even look). My room is painted green (the same shade as my eyes) and the furniture is pink (the same shade as my hair)- my mom thought it would look cute at the time, but now I'm just sick of it, because I haven't changed it since grade 6.

I decided that I needed to keep myself busy so this stupid obsession with this stupid guy wouldn't progress any further. So, the first thing I did when I got home was change into comfy sweats, and grabbed a snack from the kitchen. Then I went up to my room and on to my computer. But the computer made it worse- after about an hour of instant messaging, I ended up looking at pictures of Maserati Diablo's, and constantly checking Facebook to see if Naruto had any pictures of his cruise (so I could look at Sasuke) or checking if Sasuke even had a Facebook account. It turns out he did, but I didn't want to add him as a friend. At least not yet. It would be weird to have some random person add you as a friend when you haven't even met them. So I decided that since the computer wasn't working on distracting me from Sasuke, I would try the T.V.

Well, T.V didn't work either. I spent most of my time channel surfing while my thoughts drifted. Samuel had to find me because I was so zoned out I forgot to feed him (not that he would eat his food anyway). He had jumped up onto the couch and meowed noisily until I picked him up and went downstairs to the kitchen.

The vet said that even though he didn't have kidney failure, we should still use similar treatments, like warming up his food and hand-feeding to him, which has become the daily routine.

Sam crouched on the countertop and watched as I went to the fridge and got the other half of the can of tuna that I had used yesterday (or rather thrown out yesterday because he didn't eat it). After warming it up in the microwave I dumped the fish into my hand and leaned on the counter beside him. But Samuel, still crouched on the countertop, just looked at it. Almost every time we go through this routine (which is everyday) I wonder why he goes through all of the effort to go and get me to feed him if he's just going to stare at it.

"Come on, Sammy" I coaxed, and he looked up at me, looked down at the tuna in my hand, and then jumped off of the counter to his water bowl. That's the annoying thing about Samuel- he loves water (drinking water, that is). Probably because it gives him the feeling of being full even though he's had nothing.

"Sam," I warned, but all he did was lazily look up at me and went back to drinking from his bowl. I tried this one approach on Samuel during the summer break where I wouldn't give him his water until he ate his food- but it didn't work because he refused to eat and instead drank from the toilet. When I took that option away, he sat in the kitchen sink until he was allowed his regular use of water again.

"Sam," I repeated in the same tone, but he ignored me still. "Fine," I said taking his bowl of water from under his nose and pouring it down the sink. Samuel _mrrrlowww_ed in protest.

"Eat." I said sternly and held my hand full of tuna (which was warm and wet and starting to feel really gross) in front of his face. Samuel meowed unhappily again, but my hand stayed put. He paced briefly in front me, eyeing the tuna disgustedly, until he hesitantly approached my hand and even more hesitantly took a tiny bite. He chewed and swallowed as if it was the last thing he would do on earth, and then looked at me expectantly.

"More." I said, even though I doubt he could understand me. Samuel turned away, jumped onto the counter and jumped towards the sink where he waited, staring at the faucet and meowing discontentedly. I sighed, stood up, and followed him to the sink where I stuck my hand in his face again.

"Please, Sammy?" I asked (psh, so what if I talk to my cat?). He looked at me pleadingly and finally (and spitefully) took another bite of tuna- a good sized bite of tuna I might add. Knowing that he wouldn't eat any more than I had already made him consume, I dumped the rest of it in the garbage.

"Good boy," I said encouragingly and scratched his head. Samuel look up at me, annoyed, and meowed until I got his water bowl and filled it up for him.

My dad walked by the kitchen and stopping momentarily, said, "He eating anything?"

"Yeah," I answered, "two bites."

"Hm," My dad raised his eyebrows, "Progress."

"Yeah," I said again, and my dad continued on to wherever he was going, probably his office.

As I crouched beside Sam again, stroking his back as he drank his beloved water, I thought about how much of a distraction that was in the Sasuke-obsession situation. I didn't even think of him once the whole time.

But that was the _exact wrong_ thing to think, because that started the whole I-can't-get-my-mind-off-of-him cycle again. It started with wondering if he had any pets and it just got worse and worse from there. I'm starting to think that I'm turning into a fangirl.

When dinner came, I stayed quiet as my mind was off somewhere else thinking you-know-who. After dinner, I decided to try reading, and it helped a little, especially since Samuel came and sat on my lap. I figured that reading was the closest I was going to get on not thinking of Sasuke, so I read until 10:30 pm, which was when I was too tired to read anymore. I fell into a restless sleep listening to my parents arguing and my dad moving downstairs to sleep on the couch where Samuel left me to go join him. But my sleep turned peaceful when I dreamt of a certain black- haired, black- eyed, completely beautiful Maserati Diablo driver.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Sakura's POV

The next morning I decided to make breakfast for my dad. It must be hard sleeping on the couch all the time.

"So honey," he said as I gave him his waffles, "The people from my work are selling baseball tickets," my dad works for some business that… well I'm not quite sure what it does, but it's really rich and every once in a while they get baseball tickets. My dad and I always used to go to baseball games together but it happened less and less often when I got to high school- yet another thing that changed. "And I was wondering if you wanted to go with me."

"Sure dad, I'd love too," and I really did- I miss going to games with him. "So, when is it?"

"Well," he said in between gulps of orange juice, "It's not until a while later, but the tickets are going fast." He took another bite of waffles, "The breakfast is great hon, thanks, but you're going to be late for school if you stick around any longer."

"Oh Shoot!" I grabbed Samuel's water bowl, quickly filled it with water, grabbed a hunk of tuna or some sort of cat food, dumped it into the water bowl, set it down in front of a slightly disturbed Samuel, grabbed my bag and ran out to my car.

My day at school.

English Media: Sasuke Sasuke Sasuke Sasuke Sasuke Sasuke Sasuke Sasuke Sasuke Sasuke Sasuke Sasuke Sasuke Sasuke Sasuke Sasuke Sasuke Sasuke Sasuke Sasuke Sasuke Sasuke Sasuke Sasuke Sasuke Sasuke Sasuke Sasuke Sasuke Sasuke Sasuke Sasuke Sasuke Sasuke Sas – hold up- Naruto just walked into the class. Naruto is in my class!

He smiled at me and then went to hang out with his own group of friends….. on the opposite side of the room…..

Math: Math is one of my more tolerable subjects- half because I'm actually good at it, half because Hinata sat right beside me. I told her about Samuel's progress last night and how I can't stop thinking about Sasuke. She only said that she "doesn't see why everyone likes him so much," and then stuttered something that sounded like Naruto being better. I was surprised by her comment- she hardly stuttered and she usually just gives a shy giggle to all of Ino's and my obsessive boy remarks. Oh well.

Lunch: Choji (one of the guys that we eat lunch with… he's very large… and hungry) ate my lunch when I was in the washroom, so I had to go down to the cafeteria and buy a new one. Ino went with me and we both discovered upon entering the caf that Sasuke was in there too. We were six places behind him in line, and we saw him buy a slice of pizza and tomato juice (I didn't even know we had tomato juice). When I got to the cashier, I bought a slice of pizza too, not just because Sasuke got one- I'm not that obsessed…….. okay, maybe it is because Sasuke got pizza, but I didn't get the tomato juice. 1, I don't like tomatoes, and 2, that's just weird. Anyways, I got a Coke and when I turned around I realized I was alone. I didn't even realize that Ino disappeared until after I got my food. After scanning the cafeteria a couple of times, I finally spotted her over at Sasuke's table. She wasn't even talking- she was giggling with all the other fan girls around him. Nice friend, ditching me for a guy. So I left the caf without her.

Spanish: I didn't pay attention. Sasuke was in my class, and on my mind.

Chemistry: Rock Lee was in my class. He's one of those people who are completely unaware of how loserish and weird they are. I mean, he only wears green and has a bowl cut- how weird is that? Oh, and another thing about Lee that is very unfortunate for me- I'm pretty sure he has a crush on me.

Lee- Hey Sakura! Want to go on a date tonight?

Me- Uh, no thank you Lee.

Lee- Please!?

Me- Uh…. No sorry.

Lee- What about tomorrow night?

Me- No thanks.

Lee- The day after that?

Me- Um, I'm busy.

Lee- What about the day after that one?

Me- Sorry.

Yup. I'm pretty sure he has a crush on me.

After Lee's attempt at dating me, we watched the science safety video in class. It was boring so I doodled the whole time. Lee sat beside me and ever so frequently (meaning annoyingly) would compliment me on my drawings. They were stick people.

I went to Starbucks with Ino and Hinata after school. I bought a vanilla latte but only ended up taking a sip, because once we found our seats, a group of about 10 people from our middle school walked in- and one of them was Moji. I made sure that they didn't see us or else it would cause awkward conversations and hugging. But I couldn't help but notice that Moji had a girlfriend. I also couldn't help but notice that her name was Hana and she had pink hair. That was a little weird. Cherry Blossoms and Flower- both having pink hair. Ino gave me a knowing look. I ignored it, but I had to admit that I was a little sad that Moji had a girlfriend who was practically a reincarnation of me. I covered up my glum with an "I guess he just can't get enough of me" comment. I also made sure that Moji saw me as I walked out. I gave him enough time to see one of my best smiles, but not enough time to actually do anything about it.

I could hear the arguing of my mom and dad as I walked up the steps to the front door. The moment I walked in the house, my mom grabbed my wrist and took me right back outside again and into her car. The only thing she said was "We're going shopping." I didn't say anything back, but yelled to my dad in the house to feed Samuel.

It was late when I got back from shopping. I came home with about six overflowing bags worth of new clothes. I knew it was bad to take advantage of my mom's money when she's sad, but 1- my mom insisted, and 2- it makes her happy to help pick out clothes and watch me try them on-- and I wanted to make her happy. It was a "girl's night out" as she would say.

After putting my new clothes away, I had a shower and straightened my hair, with Samuel following me the whole time- he does that when he's angry at me for leaving him for such a long time (though I think he secretly follows me because he misses me). Then I went on instant messenger (with Samuel sitting by the keyboard), where Ino was online.

**Blondes-have-more-fun:** hey forehead!

**Cherry Blossoms20:** ino- pig

**Blondes-have-more-fun:** wuts up?

**Cherry Blossoms20:** nm, u?

**Blondes-have-more-fun:** u wernt home wen I called, did u go NEwhere after starbux?

**Cherry Blossoms20:** ya, mom took me shopping

**Blondes-have-more-fun:** were they fightN again?

**Cherry Blossoms20:** ya (Only Ino and Hinata know about my parent's situation)

**Blondes-have-more-fun:** o. sorry

**Cherry Blossoms20:** don't be sorry- hey I got new clothes didn't I? ;)

**Blond****es-have-more-fun:** :O:O:O:O!! Rite! Where did u go?

**Cherry Blossoms20:** mostly Hollister and Abercrombie

**Blondes-have-more-fun:** k, definitely wear a whole new outfit tm!

**Cherry Blossoms20:** already got it picked out

**Blondes-have-more-fun:** sweet, cant w8 2 c them

**Blondes-have-more-fun: **hows sam?

**Cherry Blossomes20: **same as usual

**Blondes-have-more-fun: **oh…

**Blondes-have-more-fun: **Omg sasukes n my English class, I sit so close 2 him!

**Cherry Blossoms20: **ya u told me yesterday

**Blondes-have-more-fun: **he is the HAWTTEST thing on earth

**Cherry Blossoms20:** omg I no, hes in my art and bio AND Spanish class

**Blondes-have-more-fun: **omg! LUCKY!

**Cherry Blossoms20: **haha I no!

**Blondes-have-more-fun: **but I call dibs on him!

**Cherry Blossoms20: **ch, ya rite

**Blondes-have-more-fun: **ya well u've got mr. foxy 2 look out for

**Cherry Blossoms20:** er, ya

**Cherry Blossoms20: **w/e

**Blondes-have-more-fun:** so hows that goin NEway?

**Cherry Blossoms20:** so-so, narutos in my instr. Class

**Blondes-have-more-fun:** aaaaannnnndddd??

**Cherry Blossoms20:** he talked 2 me a lot during it

**Blondes-have-more-fun: **and? and? and?

**Cherry Blossoms20:** thats it really

**Blondes-have-more-fun: **boring

**Cherry Blossoms20: **ya, well it wasnt

**Blondes-have-more-fun: **i no, totally kidding, im xited 4 u!

**Cherry Blossoms20:** thnx but I don't think NEthing will happen tho…

**Blondes-have-more-fun: **I no, ur 4head is to large 4 him

**Cherry Blossoms20: **: (

**Blondes-have-more-fun: **kidding again

**Cherry Blossoms20: **u better be

**Blondes-have-more-fun: **I am, I swear

**Cherry Blossoms20: **k

**Blondes-have-more-fun: **dude, wood talk more, but im 2 tired.

**Cherry Blossoms20:** really? Its so early

**Blondes-have-more-fun:** its like, midnite

**Cherry Blossoms20:** REALLY!?

**Blondes-have-more-fun:** yup

**Cherry Blossoms20:** I must have been shopping longer than I thot. Lol

**Blondes-have-more-fun:** lmao, k well c u tm

**Cherry Blossoms20:** ya, bi

**Blondes-have-more-fun:** bi

I signed off and crawled into bed with Samuel. I turned on my ipod and fell asleep with it still playing.

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I was in an airplane; one of the really nice, big ones with a really awesome first class section. I took off my seatbelt and walked over to the washrooms. As I waited in line, the lady in front of me turned around and said,

"Oh, isn't she a beauty!"

I gave a shy smile, "Thank you."

"The resemblance is unmistakeable," the lady continued, "Same nose and lips as her mother."

"Really? I always thought she looked more like her father," I replied, and looked down at the black-eyed, black- haired baby in my arms.

It was then that I awoke to my alarm clock.

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Now I'm in first period, art class, walking towards Sasuke Uchiha who was cleaning his paintbrushes at the sinks. I had the intent of actually meeting him, and it was my dream that inspired me to do it. Not that I had the intention of having his baby…

I mean, it's been three weeks since the first day of school and he's in three of my classes.

So I took a deep breath, went to the sink beside him, and started washing my brushes.

"Hi," I said, and angled my body towards him. He just glanced in my direction with a bored expression, then continued cleaning his brushes as if he hadn't heard me.

"Um, I'm Sakura." I only had one brush to clean, so after drying it off with paper towel, I leaned on the counter and waited for a response.

No response came.

"I'm, uh, in your Biology and Spanish class too."

Still no response.

"Well, I just wanted to say hi…. Uh, I guess it's a little too late for a 'welcome'. Heehee."

He finished cleaning his brushes, turned the tap off, and leaned on the counter almost mimicking my position. We stood there for what seemed like forever- I had a hard time preventing myself from letting my jaw drop and drooling at his perfect face and body- I had never been this close to him before. He then closed his eyes and took a deep breath, "Sakura," he said slowly.

My heart was about to burst out of my rib cage when he said my name. His voice was so much more amazing than what I had imagined it to be.

When he opened his eyes there was a trace of annoyance in them, "You're leaning on the paper towels."

I looked down, and indeed my elbow was on the paper towels. Oops.

"Oh, uh, woops!" I giggled nervously and blushed furiously. He just continued to stare at me with this passive, slightly annoyed expression. I manoeuvred myself away from the table and gave a small, "Bye" before scampering back to my work. Shit, shit, shit! Way to go, Sakura.

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Sasuke's POV

_Fucking Fangirls_.

The Uchiha closed the door of his Maserati Diablo and inconspicuously gave the hood of his favourite car a small pat before being swarmed by squealing idiots. One in particular followed him almost everywhere.

"Sasuke!" the red-head shrieked, as he passed by. He knew her, even from before this school. He hadn't minded her before- that was because prior to his move she was what he could have called an acquaintance, maybe even a friend (or as close to a friend as Sasuke would have her). But she had changed- _he_ had changed.

"Karin" he answered back, maybe just to make her day, maybe just to make her shut up and leave him alone.

"Sasuke!" she squealed this time and the others around her groaned in jealously.

Nope- it was only Karin that had changed.

Tuning out the shrieks and giggles he roughly- but smoothly (always smoothly)- pushed his way through the crowd to the doors of the school where (unfortunately) he was greeted by a very loud "HEY!"

How he spent a summer and almost a month with such an idiot, he doesn't really know.

Sasuke answered by coolly raising an eyebrow.

"You coming tonight?!" Naruto replied.

Sasuke just stared at him, hoping that the blonde idiot would get the hint that he had no idea what he was talking about.

Finally it "clicked."

"Oh! Right! There's a party at the Sabaku's- they've got a fucking pool and everything! You comin'?!"

Again Sasuke just stared before giving a small smirk and walking through the doors. Why wouldn't he go to the party? Who in the right mind would pass up the chance at getting completely hammered? Plus, he hadn't gotten laid in a considerate amount of time.

_'And it's not like it'll be hard'_ he thought while shaking of some girl trying to hold his hand. Probably Karin.

To Sasuke, art class was absolutely pointless. It was odd though, how he cared so little about it, but was actually very talented at it (while the rest of the people in the class only take the course because they know it's a slacker period). Currently he was surrounded by a group of people who's voices he tuned out, and was discreetly sketching in his sketchbook.

The woman in the sketch was smiling gently, with long locks of hair framing her face. Most of the detail though, was in her eyes. They had a certain sheen that made her look as though she was about to cry.

"Ah, Sasuke. May I speak with you for a moment?" Ms. Lunids mellowed out over the crowd surrounding him. Sasuke set down his sketchbook and reluctantly followed her out of the classroom to the hall.

"Dear Sasuke," started Ms. Lunids.

Sakura's POV

I wouldn't say I'm a talented artist, nor would I say I'm absolutely horrible. I'm kind of half-way in between- good enough to get good marks, but not good enough to actually take art seriously. Sometimes though, I wish I was really good at drawing, so I wouldn't be in the predicament I 'm in now. Because in the picture I was drawing, I couldn't get the arm right. I was drawing some random person out of my imagination and her arm was unproportionate. I was getting very annoyed because I'd draw the arm wrong, erase it, and try again. But each time I tried, the paper would get thinner and thinner, making it messy and harder to draw. And then my pencil broke, heightening my frustration. I took a couple of deep breaths to control my inner self – who wanted to scream- then stood up to go sharpen my pencil.

I hate manual sharpeners- they take so long to sharpen- and that means you are standing beside the sharpener looking like an idiot because you've been standing there for a long time. So as I'm turning the handle, waiting for my pencil to become sharp, I looked around the room to see if anyone was watching me idiotically sharpening my pencil. That's when I noticed Sasuke's document journal, without Sasuke around it. I was tempted to look at it- I mean, it was open, alone, and only two feet away from me, so I took a quick peak. But there was so much detail that a quick peak wasn't enough. So I abandoned my pencil and, after quickly making sure no one was looking, took a more thorough peak. And by thorough I mean walking over, angling the book towards me, then looking through the whole thing

.

WOW.

It was really good. I mean REALLY GOOD. The picture on the current page was of a woman (very pretty if I might add) with long blonde hair and a small smile. Her eyes were _stunning_. So much detail was put into them.

I flipped a couple of pages back to look at the other drawings he had done. They were also absolutely amazing as well. Maybe he is just one of those people who are insanely perfect at everything they do.

The first sketch I looked at was of a little girl, probably about five years old. She was sleeping on a couch with a stuffed cat in her hand and looked very similar to the blonde woman.

The second one I looked at was of a blonde haired man working on the wheel of what seemed to be a Maserati Diablo.

The third picture I looked at was of a woman with dark eyes and dark hair. Actually, it was overall a pretty dark picture. But it was also the most beautiful. I don't know why that picture was so unbelievably beautiful, but I couldn't take my eyes off of it- until I felt a presence looming over my shoulder and I turned around.

"Woah, that's amazing- did you do that?" the boy, another student in the class, asked.

"Me? Oh, um, no it's not mine I just-" I flushed, and as I tried to explain, another person looked over.

"Oh my god, did _you_ do that?" they asked.

"No," I replied, getting nervous over all of the sudden attention I brought to myself and the sketchbook, "it's not mine, um, it's Sas-"

"Hey! That's Sasuke's!" another exclaimed.

And that was basically the beginning of the end. Once Sasuke's name was mentioned it took a bare minimum of 5 seconds for everyone in the class to be crowded around me and the sketchbook, 'ooh'ing and 'aah'ing and trying to get their hands on the apparent prized possession that I had in my hands. And since it was my fault this whole ordeal began, I felt that it was my duty to protect the object that had started it all, which meant trying for dear life to keep the sketchbook from slipping out of my grasp as others tried to take a hold of it. But I knew I was doomed when I looked through the grappling hands and shoving bodies at Hinata, still sitting at our table- her eyes weren't on the chaos surrounding me, they were on the door. Or rather, the person standing at the door.

Sasuke's POV

"And that is why I want your work to be in the upcoming show." Finished Ms. Lunids. Sasuke hadn't really been listening. He paid just enough attention though, to get the gist of it: Art Show.

"So? What do you say?" she continued. Sasuke would laugh at her eagerness, but instead gave a small nod (laughing wasn't his thing) before heading for the door, followed by an over excited art teacher.

As he approached the door he could hear excited chatter coming from within the room, and upon entering, he found an unexpected scene. First of all, the moment he passed through the doorway the noise level diminished intensely, second, a crowd that had surrounded _his_ seat dispersed, and third, it left a very stressed pink headed girl. He recognized her as the one who leaned on the paper towels- the girl from a couple of days ago, who tried to talk to him.

'Fucking paper towel girl." He thought as he made his way towards her.

The girl's back was facing him, her body alert, though only after she saw the shadow looming over her did she turn around.

Paper towel girl gave a small squeak of surprise (and embarrassment) and almost dropped the book in her hands- a book that just so happened to belong to him.

His sketchbook- and by the condition it was in now, it looked as frazzled as the girl before him.

Sasuke's eyes darkened.

"I-" she struggled for something to say, her mouth opening and closing fruitlessly. She rambled a few sentences before realizing that Sasuke didn't give a shit as to what she was saying, and then her chin trembled. "I'm sorry," she strained, before running back to her seat, letting the book clatter onto the chair. Trying not to care too much about the incident, Sasuke took a deep breath and tried to stay calm. That was until he saw the damage done to his sketchbook.

The sheets were bent and crumpled, his sketches were smudged and a page was even messily torn out.

"Fucking…" he started, inhaling another breath, but letting it go in a frustrated sigh- he couldn't make a scene, and he couldn't let the issue go, with all eyes on him the only thing he could do was leave. So he did, shoving his sketchbook into his bag and slinging it over his back. He didn't storm out, but his anger was channeled into every swift step he took in the hallway, not even stopping for his teacher who, bewildered by his hasty pace, called out "Sasuke? Where are you going?"

Having reached the fresh air of outside his shoulders relaxed and his fleet turned into a steady saunter. As he turned a corner into the back field, and another to behind the dumpster, he slipped his backpack from his shoulder and flung it sharply against the metal of the disposer, right beside where an intoxicated Gaara sat. Internally grateful, he took the joint offered to him by the red-head, and took the same path as his backpack. Now usually he wouldn't be near the eyeliner wearing freak, but he _was_ useful for certain… substances. (**A/N k guys, no offense to Gaara lovers, I like Gaara too- its just the way Sasuke perceives him)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Sakura's POV

It was hard to focus in English class that day. I didn't understand how such a simple act of peeking at his sketchbook would turn into a whole disaster- even after Sasuke left people were glancing at me throughout the whole class; I was practically hiding behind Hinata for that duration.

I mean, how could it happen? Am I just really stupid or do I just have really bad luck? And I never knew students could be so… _rabid_ when it comes to Sasuke and popularity.

Anyways, I was unusually quiet at lunch because of this. My friends knew it too, they all gave me wary looks, though I guess they were too uncomfortable to say anything about it.

_Earlier that lunch_

I saw Sasuke walking in the hall after I got out of class. He was alone (which is very rare), probably going to the cafeteria. I walked up to him, hoping to apologize about making him angry. I knew he wasn't the most sociable person, but it's better safe than sorry.

"Sasuke?" I asked timidly, and cautiously approached him. He looked at me with glazed, blood-shot eyes. What was wrong with him? I started to fiddle nervously with the hem of my shirt.

"Um, I just wanted to say that I'm sorry for what happened earlier in art class and I'm-"

"Fuck off." He stated bluntly.

"Uh, I'd just like to say that I'm sorry about the whole sketchbook thing" I said, my voice waning at his reply. Is he this rude to everyone?

His only response was to glare at me, so I continued, "I know it wasn't even my place to be looking through it, and I know it was my fault that everyone saw it and that it got ruined and I know it was your property and I should have asked, but I didn't know that the whole class would start rioting, you know? It got way out of proportion and I don't know if…" I paused; Sasuke was acting a little odd, was he even listening to what I was saying?

"I don't know if…" I was about to continue- and I took a step forward to try and regain his attention- but as soon as I moved, he stumbled backwards.

"I…" he started, looking at me, though it seemed as if his eyes weren't focusing- as if I wasn't really there. "told you to fuck off." He finally continued, his eyes now trying so hard to focus on me.

I figured it out now- the unfocused, blood shot eyes- he was high. It changed a lot about the situation we were in- I've never talked to someone that was high before, so I had no idea how to handle him. Well, at least his odd behavior had reason, but who would be so stupid to get high and then go _back_ to school?

I stood there facing Sasuke for at least a full minute while he looked around, trying to hub his vision, swaying ever so slightly.

"Um, maybe you should-" the moment he heard my voice his eyes darted to my face, and then a 'heh' escaped from his lips as he tried to stumble pass me.

"Sasuke-" some sort of instinct or _something_ ran through me and at that moment I turned to grab his arm, maybe to get him to really listen to me, or maybe I was just concerned about his well-being.

I flinched at the contact with his bare skin and the glare that came along with it. Faster than I was expecting, his hand flung out and knocked mine away, my other hand went to my heart in shock.

"Fuck off." He said slowly, forcefully, and then continued walking down the hall, breathing out a "bitch" as he turned away. I stood, frozen, and watched him until he turned a corner. I was trying to fight the tears in my eyes as I thought to put together what exactly just happened.

_Back to the present_

Finally, Hinata took the risk.

"Um, S-Sakura? You seem awfully q-quiet t-today." She stated, though it sounded more like a question.

"I'm just not feeling well, I guess." And I bet it looked like it too, I'm usually more animated. Plus, I didn't even sympathize or anything with Ino when she complained her schedule had to be changed and she was switched out of my biology class. I think if I weren't so zoned out, I would have said something triumphant about how I would get more alone time with Sasuke because Ino wasn't there.

But I wasn't in the mood which Hinata caught onto, and seeing as I wouldn't have an angry outburst, she continued, "Maybe y-you should go h-home."

I though about that for a moment. If I went home, then I wouldn't have to see Sasuke in Spanish class. It's sort of funny, how before I would want to be near Sasuke, but today, I wanted to be as far away from him as possible.

"Yeah, I think I might go home." I answered, and then pulled out my cell phone dialing then my Dad's number.

The phone rang and then a voice answered, I'm guessing the secretary. "Atlantic Beach Corporation, how may I help you?"

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In the end, I was allowed to go home, I just had to sound sick on the phone, and my Dad approved.

I was paranoid, walking through the hallway, afraid that I would see Sasuke again. I must have looked paranoid too, because, as I walked past the cafeteria, Naruto jogged up beside me. That immediately changed my somber mood, and I relaxed a little.

"Hey Sakura, you feeling alright?"

"Um, yeah, just feeling a little sick," I replied as the butterflies in my stomach decided to come out and play, "I'm going home now."

"Oh, well I can walk you to your car!" he replied- I should get sick more often if it means Naruto is involved.

We both were quiet as we continued through the hall until Naruto broke the silence. "Something's wrong with my time table, so I'm getting a new schedule," he stated, trying to start conversation.

"Oh, you know Ino? That happened to hers too… What are your new classes?" I asked, glad that he broke the silence, and hoping that he was in more of my classes.

"I dunno, I get that tomorrow."

"Cool." I answered, and we fell back into silence again. I should have been exuberant that Naruto was walking with me, but the incident with Sasuke was gnawing on my insides. I used the unlock button on my car keys when we reached the parking lot, and the flash of the headlights matched the bulb in my mind- I had an idea on how to solve the Sasuke situation.

"Um, Naruto?" I started.

He turned to me with a smile that made the butterflies in my stomach go insane, "Yeah?"

"Well, I was wondering if you could apologize to Sasuke for me?" the last part came out in a rush, so it took him a couple of seconds to register my words. When he did though, his smile turned into a small frown.

"Uh, sure Sak… but why?" he asked, turning serious. Couldn't he just say 'yes'? Now I have to explain everything. This is going to be awkward- especially because I was trying not to grin at the fact that he used a nickname for me.

"Well, it's just this whole thing with his sketchbook and stuff, and he got really mad, the class was really out of control, I mean, I dunno..." I explained nervously, giving as little detail as possible.

"Okay, I guess… but it's probably not your fault, I mean he can be an idiot." He shook his head, "He has one hell of a temper, I mean, are you sure you want me to apologize to him? I could punch him in the face instead?" Was that supposed to be a joke? I let out a hesitant giggle to fill in the stillness, and he chuckled in return. "Sure, I'll apologize for you, but uh, you know…" I looked up at him when he trailed off, "is there a reason why, uh, you can't?"

Right... How do I explain this?

"Well I tried, but um, when I did, he was, um," we reached my ford and Naruto opened the door for me. I gave a small 'thank you' before getting inside, then continuing in a rush, "hewashighandgotevenangrier."

He raised an eyebrow, "…What?"

"Um, never mind." I couldn't tell him what really happened- who rats out their crush's best friend? Plus, what if Sasuke got even more angrier than he already was?

"Come on, tell me, please?" he gave a small pout as he asked and I tried not to laugh.

But I was determined, and didn't fall for his very, very (very) cute pout and puppy dog eyes. "No, it's fine, really," and I gave him a small smile in return before looking away.

"Are you sure?" he seemed unconvinced.

"Yeah, positive." I said, and then started the car.

"Okay…"

"And thanks for walking me to my car," I continued.

A grin spread across his face, "No problem! Feel better Sakura!"

"I will, see you later," And after exchanging small waves and 'byes', he closed the door and I pulled out of the parking lot.

Sasuke's POV

"Sasuke you- you idiot!"

The Uchiha looked up from his lunch to find a fuming Naruto storming towards him. The fangirls surrounding his table made room to let Naruto through, before returning to their gossip.

"Can I speak with you for a minute?" the blonde ground out.

Sasuke gave a "Hn." Before walking out of the cafeteria and sliding coolly past the fangirls who surrounded him- almost thankful to Naruto for getting him away from them.

The moment they exited the caf, Naruto started his rant. "What happened to Sakura? What were you thinking? What the fuck did you do?!"

Sasuke blinked slowly before answering, "Sakura? Who the f-"

"Yeah, Sakura! You know, pink hair, green eyes? In your art class? She said you got mad at her for some stupid sketchbook thing!"

It occurred to Sasuke that Naruto was talking about 'paper towel girl'.

Well, that changed everything.

"Hn." Was his reply.

Okay, maybe not everything.

"Hn!? Is that all you're going to say? What happened when she tried to apologize?" Naruto continued- and Sasuke could clearly see the straining tendons along the blonde's forearm leading to a clenched fist- was he about to get punched in the face?

Sasuke ignored the fist and thought about the last part. Why couldn't he remember? Oh. That's right. He gave a shrug, acting nonchalant, knowing full well that this answer could have him walking away with a possible black eye. "I was high."

"You were… you were high? Ugh! Why are you such a fucking- ugh. You are ruining my chances with her! Do you think that she'll go out with me now that my best friend is a fucking idiot?!"

The Uchiha ignore the insult, but focused the rest of what the blonde said- and the clenched fist that slightly raised at his last remark.

_Go out with? If she wasn't so annoying I never woul__d have known she existed. _

"She doesn't even do shit, idiot." Sasuke finally answered.

"You don't get it? You just-" Naruto gave a frustrated sigh, the clenched fist finally relaxing, "You owe me some serious ramen or something to make up for this." And with that the blonde stormed off.

_Hn._

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Sakura's POV

In art class a couple of days later, we had to sit in a circle and draw the still life at its center. I have to admit it was pretty boring- no one talked or moved around much- but it did solve the Sasuke dilemma; I could remain as invisible as possible.

We started reading Macbeth in English. Most of the class I spent doodling, because I have absolutely no idea how to understand Shakespeare.

I was back to my normal self at lunch- chatty and animated. Ino though, would try and bring up the topic of Sasuke Uchiha (god she was so obsessed with him- well, more so than I was). Every time she started to talk about him, I would quickly change subject- I don't know what I'd say if we started openly talking about him. Probably something really embarrassing.

Instrumental came next. Naruto and I talked a lot more that period. We had a supply-teacher who didn't know how to conduct, so most of the class went by without us actually playing. Our conversation started off with me thanking him for walking me to my car the other day, and him telling me about his chat with Sasuke.

"He is such a little fucker. I apologized and he didn't even remember what had happened. So I'm pretty sure he put it in the past or something like that." Is what Naruto said to me. So I didn't have to worry about _that_ anymore.

Nearing the end of instrumental, our conversation turned to his schedule changes, which he received today.

"So do you know what you have next?" I asked. My mind had only one thought- _Please say science with Kakashi, please say science with Kakashi, please say science with Kakashi._

"Uh, I think I have science with… Kakashi." He confirmed as he looked at his timetable. I practically heard my inner-self screaming out of joy. I didn't though. Instead I replied,

"Really? That's my next class." I told him, biting my lip to hold back the huge smile that wanted to work its way across my face.

"Awesome! That's so-" he was cut off by the bell, signaling the end of class. "Well, maybe we could walk together?!" A grin appeared on his face as he said this.

"Yeah, hold on, just let me get my stuff together," I replied, finally smiling back.

We entered the science room and almost immediately Naruto dragged me over to a seat. I was so overwhelmed by the tingling sensation that came from his hand on my wrist that I failed to notice exactly where we sat- which was right next to Sasuke Uchiha. Well that was just fantastic. I know, he and Sasuke are like, best friends and they should be allowed to sit together, but did Naruto already forget the incident with Sasuke and me earlier? Or maybe I was just making a big deal out of nothing? Considering the latter and the fact that it would be rude to leave (and the additional fact that I didn't really want to leave), I stayed seated on Naruto's right, while Sasuke was on his left.

The class started after Mr. Kakashi made an excuse as to why he was 10 minutes late and after he welcomed Naruto to the class. Then he briefly talked about how he planned to do the culminating activity this year: Instead of having one huge project completed at the end, there will be a bunch of smaller assignments completed throughout the year. The project would also be done in groups of three that Mr. Kakashi chooses. He then went on to our usual lesson. I would pay attention, but every so often I would look over to Naruto or Sasuke. At one point, Naruto looked as if he had fallen asleep. Sasuke on the other hand, had his eyes closed and his arms crossed. I thought he was sleeping too until one eye opened to catch the person whom he felt looking at him… which was me.

I came home that day to find my mother actually happy for once. Apparently, my sister, Puriti, had called and was coming down for a visit in a couple of weeks. She was now attending the University of Miami, so we didn't get to see her as often, though she left one of her cars here for when she did see us. I would have used her car instead of my big Ford Escape, but she has memorized every mile on it and would have beat the shit out of me if I even touched it. Anyway, it was nice to come home to a more pleasant atmosphere.

But change seems to be a constant ideal in my life, so happy soon turned into a yelling mom, a frustrated dad, and me escaping to Ino's house (after spending a half hour trying to get Samuel to eat- I think all the yelling made him nervous).

Ino lives fairly close to me, about a 7- 10 minute drive away. Her house is basically the size of mine, though she has a bit more luxury than I do- all because of her parents owning this flower shop that all these celebrities like to order from. For starters, she has a really nice Paseo Convertible and a walk-in closet twice the size of mine (the perks of growing up in a sheltered, upper-class community).

When I was at Ino's, we mostly watched TV and did our homework. Her house was actually a pretty peaceful place compared to my house, which was perfect to do homework in. Normally I would be doing my homework on my own time, but with all the constant drama in my house, I was starting to fall behind. Also, Ino can kind of understand Shakespeare, which is better than anywhere I'll get on my own.

When I told her about science class and how Naruto dragging me to sit beside him and Sasuke, she flipped, and not just because she was mad that she got switched out of that class. Ino always knew about my crush on Naruto, but never thought about anything of it (lately she has been too preoccupied with her fantasies of her and Sasuke). According to Ino though, intentional physical contact means that the person really likes you, and that you should expect them asking you out in (at the most) two weeks time. I didn't believe her- when has she ever known about relationships? She's never even been in one. Oh well. That's Ino for you.

I made sure I got home late enough that I missed the eye of the storm (my parent's argument), but early enough that I didn't disturb my dad who was probably on the couch. Then, after quickly checking my Facebook, I had a shower, straightened my hair, and got dressed in my pajamas. Then I went to sleep listening to my ipod after spending some quality time with Samuel- who was mad at me because I left him with my yelling parents.

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Sakura's POV

I woke up at 6:30 am to my ipod still blaring in my ears. How the battery survived the night, I don't know. I stayed in my bed for a couple of minutes hoping to fall back asleep, but then After getting dressed, I went to the kitchen for breakfast- making sure to be extra-quiet as to not wake my dad on the couch. It was almost 7:00 when I finished my pop tarts and orange juice- that meant 2 more hours until school started.

To waste some more time, I woke up Samuel and tried to get his eating over with. It was a successful time-waster- he ended up taking one and a half bites of his food (before meowing loudly for his water).

I then decided to hang in my room then since it was only 7:30. I plugged my ipod in and went on my computer. After updating the songs on it, I quickly checked my Facebook. I still haven't added Sasuke yet. I think I should be on better terms with him first. It was 8:00, and with nothing else to do, I went into the second floor TV room and surfed the channels. I ended up watching Spongebob Squarepants. I was surprised by how funny it actually was, and by how much I laughed. It was the episode where Squidward makes a marching band for the super bowl.

At 8:30, I decided to go to school. I didn't have to worry about being alone when I got there because Hinata is always there early. I stopped by Starbucks and got myself a vanilla latte, and Hinata a hot chocolate- she doesn't like coffee.

I arrived at the school and the halls were practically empty. Hinata thanked me for the hot chocolate, and we started talking about random things until Ino and Choji arrived. I went to the cafeteria when my stomach growled; I guess I was still hungry- my breakfast _was_ pretty early. I got a chocolate chip muffin, and as I was about to leave the caf, someone called my name,

"Sakura!"

I knew that it was Naruto calling my name, but I pretended to look for the owner of the voice before 'finding' him beaming and gesturing for me to join him at a table. I was a little hesitant- I knew the names of the two other people sitting with him- but I didn't _know_ them. All I really knew about them was that Tenten always wore her hair in two buns and was relatively nice, and Neji who was really smart and was Hinata's cousin.

"Hey Sakura!" he greeted once I was settled in the seat beside him. I gave a small 'hi' and nibbled on my muffin. "You know Tenten and Neji, right?" he continued. I nodded and exchanged 'hello's with them.

I have to admit, I was a little nervous. I mean, I know they're just people, but they are popular people- at the top of the high school food chain, and I didn't want to mess up.

"We were just talking about Katana, you know the band?" asked Naruto.

"Uh, yeah. They're pretty cool." I answered. Truthfully, I didn't really like them- they were too hardcore for my taste.

"Yeah! So there is this concert in 2 days and-" he was cut off by someone else's voice.

"Sakura! My Flower!"

I groaned in response to the all too familiar greeting, trying to look cool in front of Naruto, Neji, and Tenten, though on the inside, all I could think was: _this can not be happening, this can not be happening_.

But it was, and it was Lee.

He sat down on the other side of me with a flourish. "How are you Sakura! You look as beautiful as ever!" he continued. I buried my face into my hands while the other's watched with raised brows.

"Hi Lee." I mumbled through my fingers.

"My Cherry Blossom! May I escort you to dinner tonight?"

"No thank you Lee." By this time I was mortified, and my face was beat-red.

"What about tomorrow?" he asked leaning towards me.

"Um, I don't think I'm free for the rest of the week- I mean month, actually." I replied, hoping he would leave me alone.

"Oh Sakura," he said, taking one of the hands from my face into his, "I will wait for you for eternity!" Uh oh. I looked over at the other three at the table. Naruto had a small frown, while Neji and Tenten had their mouths hung open. I mouthed 'help me' with a pleading look on my face.

"Uuuhhhhh…" Naruto started, "Hey Lee, isn't that Mr. Gai over there?"

"Gai?!" Lee immediately stood up and ran in the direction of Naruto's pointed finger (which was thankfully pointing out of the caf). But before Lee left completely, he called back, "Until next time, my flower!"

I looked at the others hoping they didn't think I was some freak. But they just burst out laughing (well, Tenten and Naruto did- Neji is too cool for that, I guess). I giggled nervously, trying to fit in though still really embarrassed.

"It looks like Sasuke's not the only one with a fan club." Neji said lowly to Tenten.

"Oh my god," I mumbled, and buried my face into my hands again as they snickered at my misfortune.

"So you were bluffing, right?" asked Naruto, taking on a slightly serious- though still humorous- façade.

"What?" I looked up again.

"You were bluffing, what you said to Lee? You're free this month?"

"Um, yeah, why?" Oh my god- is he doing what I think he's doing?

"Well there's this concert and-" Naruto was cut off by the five-minute bell. I took this as to excuse myself from embarrassing myself even further in front of Naruto, even though I think he was about to do something that I never thought would happen in a million years.

"I've got to go," I said, "I haven't even gotten my books out of my locker." And with that, I stood up, waving goodbye, and jogged out of the caf, even though I could have walked with Naruto because he's in my first-period as well. But I didn't leave before hearing a "Hey, is she knew to the school?" by Tenten, an "I don't know, she's pretty cool though," by Neji, and an "I think she came here in grade 10 or something?" by Naruto. It just goes to show how popular I really am, considering the fact that I went to the school since grade nine. I ducked my head as I left, my self esteem degrading by the minute.

I almost was late for English Media- the anthem played like two seconds after I got in to the room. I've never been late- and though it's kind of nerdy- I'm proud of it.

Much to my dismay though, I found myself ignoring Naruto's eager looks at me from across the room. I didn't really want to but by the incident that happened this morning, I was to embarrassed to even make eye-contact with him. I even rushed out of class when it ended just so he couldn't catch up to me.

Math was absolutely fantastic. Not.

Hinata and I were separated because we were talking too much, so I had to sit beside someone I didn't even know.

Lunch was just as bad as math. My Sprite exploded when I opened it, spilling all over my top. I spent most of the lunch in the girl's bathroom, holding my shirt under the dryer- and when I came back, Ino talked non-stop about Sasuke. I can't get him out of my head if someone is blabbering about him in my ear for about an hour.

Chemistry was, well, Chemistry. Not very exciting, pointless, extremely boring. We were stuck learning about whether or not an acid turns some type of weird paper blue. And though chemistry was boring, there was something much more interesting outside the window- apparently Naruto and Sasuke have gym class together because they, along with their whole class, were running laps around the school- Naruto and Sasuke running at top speed- head to head.

I found Naruto leaning against my locker when school ended, a little out of breath and sweaty from his previous class. The fact that he was actually waiting for _me_ personally ruled out his not-to-pleasant physical state easily. I didn't even know he knew where my locker was. I didn't ask either. I also decided that 6 hours from the incident this morning is enough avoiding him (and that I should stop being a wuss). So, I greeted him with a,

"Hey"

"Hi!" he smiled and my knees weakened (I guess the whole I-just-came-back-from-working-out thing had a certain charm to it), then he moved out of the way so I could open my locker. "Are you doing anything this Friday?" he asked.

My eyes widened and my jaw slackened. Was Naruto asking me out? Oh my god. Oh my god. Oh my g-

"Sakura?" Naruto's voice brought me from my stupor.

This Friday? "Ummm…" Today was Tuesday. Friday was in three days. "Yeah, I think so, why?" As if I didn't know!

"Well I've got concert tickets to Katana, and I was…" he fidgeted a little uncomfortabely, "I was wondering if you would like to come?"

I knew it! I knew it I knew it I knew it I knew it I knew it! Oh my god! Naruto asked me out! Oh my god! My inside was victory dancing, but my outside remained calm. "Like a date?" I asked, my lips twitching into a smile.

"Yeah," he grinned, "So, are you coming?"

"I would love to, thanks!"

"Awesome! I'll pick you up at 5:30!"

My smile widened. "Cool."

"Kay, I'll see you tomorrow!" And he waved goodbye and jogged away, hopefully to the showers.

I stood there for about 5 minutes, stupefied- not believing it actually happened- and also not really realizing that he didn't even know where my house was either. But that's okay- I'm going on a date with Naruto. Finally, I let out a squeal, earning a couple stares, and ran to find Ino, or Hinata, or somebody to spill all of this out.

I found Ino walking to her locker (which is practically beside mine) and bounced (literally) over to her.

"InoInoInoInoInoInoInoInoIno!" I squealed and she looked at me as if I had a third eye. "Naruto asked me out on a date and I said yes and on Friday I'm going to go see a Katana concert with him and that's only three days away and Naruto asked me out! Can you believe it!?" I said rapid-fire, still bouncing. When she absorbed the new- found knowledge, she joined me in my squealing and bouncing.

Suddenly, she stopped.

"Do you have the perfect outfit to wear?"

I stopped too- and after thinking for like five seconds, I answered with a "no".

"Then we have to go shopping!" and she grabbed my arm and dragged me off.

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After 2 hours of shopping, we found the perfect outfit. A fashionable red dress- nice enough for a first date, but casual enough for a concert.

As we passed the Chanel store on the way out of the mall though, I saw the perfect purse to go with my perfect outfit. It was a white shoulder bag with a big, black Chanel logo on the side. I stopped Ino and went into the store. It was like love at first sight (which seems to be happening a lot recently) because I wanted that bag really, really badly. I checked the price- it was 500- which was no problem, I'd just ask my parents for the money.

"Hey Dad," I said as I sat on the couch beside him. It had been about half an hour since Ino and I got back from shopping.

"Hi hun, how was shopping?" he replied, taking his eyes off of the TV screen to look at me.

"Good, good… so there is this bag at the Chanel store that is really nice." I continued.

"How much was it?" he turned his head back to the TV (he was watching his favourite, golf).

"Ummmm, 500," I shrugged nonchalantly.

"I guess I could get it for you, if you really want it." He answered, his eyebrows raising briefly at the price. "You couldn't find something else?"

"But dad, it was like, love at first sight," I replied, desperate.

"You can't find er, love, in another store- another less expensive store?"

"Dad," I started, "I really, _really,_ want it," and then I hurried my begging because I heard footsteps coming up the stairs- which could only be my mom, ready to suck the fun out of everything. "Please, daddy? Pleeease?" I clasped my hands together to emphasize my need.

"Well," he sighed, " I guess I…"

"Please, please, please?"

"Yeah, I guess I can get it for you..."

"Really Dad? Thanks!"

"Absolutely not," my Mother snapped, entering the room.

I was a little surprised on how stealthy she was, but that didn't stop me from complaining.

"But Mom!" I whined- I was so close to getting that purse!

"If you want to get something, buy it yourself," she replied.

"But I don't want to spend my money in my bank account! Not for that!"

"Then make the money," she replied coolly.

"Mom!"

"Honey," my Dad started.

"Don't," she said sternly, "I want _our_ daughter to learn some responsibility." And she said 'our' in a really snooty way.

Ugh! Why was my Mom being such an idiot! This is so not fair!

"Alright, alright," my Dad finally agreed. I couldn't believe he turned to the dark side, especially so quickly- I guess he didn't want to start a fight in front of me.

"Good." My Mom said, and left the room after giving both of us a rather suspicious look.

When she was out of sight (finally), my Dad leaned over and whispered into my ear, "Just come up with 100, sweetie. I'll take care of the rest."

"Yes!" I cheered, and then remembering to be quiet so my mom wouldn't hear I added in a whisper, "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" So my Dad isn't part of the dark side after all.

"How are you going to get the money?" my Dad asked, and my victory was put on pause for a moment.

"Um…" I didn't have a job- I didn't even have a resume. So the only option I could think of was, "babysitting?"

My dad seemed to agree, probably knowing it was the only way I could get money considering it was, well, me. "Okay, I'll ask around work, tell them that you're available."

I could count on my dad for anything. "Thanks Daddy!" I gave him a kiss on the cheek and skipped to the kitchen to feed (meaning tried to feed) Samuel.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Sakura's POV

I gave my mom the silent treatment in the morning, but I don't think she noticed. I was extra sure, though, to talk to my dad a lot and make sure he would tell people at work about my babysitting thing. Also, feeding Samuel was relatively easy this morning- he still didn't have much at all, but a couple of easy bites are better than nothing. I wonder if this is like, a good sign or something.

Hinata and I talked for most of art class. I told her about my purse, my mom being stupid, and most importantly, my date with Naruto. What was weird though, was that she seemed to force her excitement about it. What was even weirder, was that I caught Sasuke Uchiha staring at me.

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Sasuke's POV

Holy Fuck. Paper towel girl talked non-stop, and really loudly too. He could hear her from all the way across the room. It was so _damn_ annoying, and so hard to tune her out because her voice would pierce through everyone else's. Sasuke managed to drown her out at one point with his ipod, but found himself listening to her conversation. Especially when she started talking about a date. A date with Naruto to be exact.

He couldn't believe the idiot actually asked her out, and she even said yes! Wait, why did he care? He didn't care- well that was what he told himself. He was just peeved. Why? One, she doesn't look like the type to party, two, she was probably a spoiled brat, three, she wasn't anything close to popular (even though she _is_ mildly attractive… only mildly) and four, she will be spending more time with Naruto, and more time with Naruto meant more time around him.

And she was _paper towel girl_ for fuck's sake! Why would Naruto go out with paper towel girl? Oh right, because Naruto is an idiot.

Sasuke let out a frustrated sigh and turned the volume of his ipod almost to its maximum. But as he continued to work in his sketchbook, he found his gaze returning constantly to paper towel girl, sizing her up- seeing if there was some hidden factor that he somehow missed in _why_ Naruto chose _her_ of all people. And then, while he was sizing her up, she caught him looking at her. And their gaze connected.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow.

Her face flushed a deep red.

He raised his other eyebrow.

She flushed an even deeper red.

He smirked when she looked away and tried to busy herself with a non-existent mark on her skirt. But before he could do, think, or say anything else- a thought hit him.

_What the hell? Am I… Was I flirting with her?!_

His nose scrunched infinitesimally and he looked back down at his own work.

_Fuck no._

And as he tried to convince himself that he wasn't, in fact flirting with her, his eyes flickered up once more to paper towel girl.

Where this time _he_ caught _her_ staring at him- which really isn't so unlikely when you consider that it's Sasuke Uchiha as the object of focus.

This time, he glared at her- just to intimidate her, to make her realize that she's not _worthy,_ that she's not _mildly_ attractive, that he _wasn't _flirting with her (because he _wasn't_).

And this time, he saw the glimmer of- you could call it _fear_- in her eyes as she looked away for good. Sasuke smirked inwardly, satisfied by her reaction, and by the realization that he could actually work again.

Sasuke had Business after art and instead of listening to the teacher's lesson, he closed his eyes and sat there, bored. He also noticed, before he closed his eyes, that paper towel girl's friend- the small, shy, panicky one- was also in his business class.

Sasuke didn't feel like acknowledging anyone at lunch- not that he usually did. Instead, he tuned out the whole world completely. That is, until paper towel girl entered the cafeteria. She came with a friend, a blonde one, and they waited in line to get their lunch. Just like in art class, though, her voice penetrated through the wall he created between himself and the world. God, she was so annoying. He found himself glaring in her direction until she left- then he continued to tune everything out again.

The class was supposed to be reading MacBeth in English. Even though Sasuke understood Shakespeare, he didn't care for it. Besides, he had already read the book. So instead of reading, he cleared his mind- almost preparing himself for next period- Biology- where paper towel girl and her annoying voice would be. She would most likely be sitting near him – if she was going out with Naruto, she would sit with him, and Naruto would sit with Sasuke. Which was why he was mentally preparing himself- if he would be sitting beside the world's biggest idiot, and paper towel girl (who's voice would only have to travel mere inches to assault Sasuke's ears), he had to be in some sort of state of calm. So Sasuke walked to Biology (which was more like death row) with a completely blank mind and expression.

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Sakura's POV

"Come sit over here!" Naruto said as he led me over to the back of the classroom- where Sasuke was again. Naruto sat on his left and gestured for me to sit beside him, so the only thing between me and Sasuke was Naruto himself- not good considering the look he gave me earlier that morning.

Mr. Kakashi was late as usual, and it was very awkward during the time before he came. Naruto and I would talk, but then feel bad that Sasuke was left out. Bur when we did try to involve him, he'd answer with a "Hn" or an "Aa." Or even nothing at all. Then, to make things worse, Lee decided to sit on the other side of me. And even though I told him that Naruto had already asked me out, he _still_ persisted.

Finally, Mr. Kakashi came in. After taking attendance, he went straight to explaining the culminating activity.

"So I believe I already told you about the basic idea," he started, "But I have yet to assign the groups. Once I have done that, your group can sign up for your topic. The overall theme will be the human body, you just have to focus on a certain part. Now to assign your groups..." He quickly counted the number of people in the class, "So each is a group of three, and I'll just make the groups by where you are sitting." Then he started counting off groups – or teams - as he liked to call it. Wait- if it's by where we are sitting, then that means we are probably grouped with the people we were sitting beside. Uh oh. Lee was sitting beside me. That would be A LOT of time spent with Lee. Shit. _Please, don't put me in the same group with Lee._

He counted teams 1 and 2, and Lee looked at me with a hopeful smile.

_Not with Lee_.

He counted team 3, and Lee's hopeful smile turned into a grin.

_Not with Lee. I'll do anything!_

He counted team 4, and Lee started to shift his chair a little closer to mine.

_Not Lee Not Lee Not Lee Not Lee Not Lee Not Lee Not Lee Not Lee._

He counted team 5- he was getting closer and closer to where I sat, and his smile was looking quite creepy now.

_Oh please oh please oh please oh please oh please oh please._

YES! Mr. Kakashi put Lee in team 6- and I wasn't in it!

So team 7 was me, Naruto, and Sasuke. I looked at Naruto who pumped his fist with an "alright!", while Sasuke just sat there. Wait- I'm in Sasuke's group? That's not good. 1, I seem to drool over him every time he's near (even worse because I'm apparently dating Naruto), and 2, last time I checked, he was kind of mad at me.

Mr. Kakashi finally finished assigning all 9 groups, and then he continued to speak, "Now that the groups are settled, I'll let you pick your topics. Just choose a part of the body to focus on and come tell me. Then I'll give you the assignment instructions."

I think Lee was weeping about me not being in his group, but I ignored him. Instead, I turned to Naruto and Sasuke.

"So, um, what part should we do?" I asked. Naruto thought about this for a bit and frowned in concentration; Sasuke didn't do anything. Then, Naruto started to comically stroke his chin with his hand. That made me giggle a bit. He smiled in return, then looked at the hand he was using, and his face lit up.

"Hey! How about the hand!" he said, holding it up.

"Sure, that sounds good." I answered. Sasuke's reply was "Hn."

"Awesome!" and Naruto ran up to Mr. Kakashi. He came back with the assignment instructions once our idea was approved. I took the paper from him and read it out loud.

Draw your focus from a view outside of the body and label.

Draw your focus' muscle build up and label.

Draw your focus' bone, vein, and artery structure and label.

First presentation.

Research the basic function of your focus.

And _blah blah blah blah_ all the way up to number 18.

"Wow. That's a lot of work," Naruto stated.

"…Yeah, it's going to take a lot of time to get done." I answered filling the silence between the three of us.

As if hearing me, Mr. Kakashi said, "I suggest you and your team get together once or twice a week to work on this, so you can divide the work time easily. Oh, and the due dates are on the back of the assignment sheet. Now, I'll leave you guys to sort out your schedules and work times with your team mates." Then, after sitting down, Mr. Kakashi pulled out his pervert book and started to read.

After a couple of moments of silence between our group, and me ignoring Lee, Sasuke spoke. Yes, Sasuke actually spoke.

"If we get together every 6 days, that gives us 3 meetings before each due date," he said. Wow. Sasuke calculated it that quickly? And all in his head? Smarty Pants.

"Uh… Okay." Naruto answered. He seemed as surprised as me, that Sasuke actually initiated conversation.

"So, our first meeting is… Tuesday?" I asked. Sasuke nodded in confirmation. Well he was being quite social today… for Sasuke that is. I guess he's not mad at me anymore- or whatever he was feeling when he glared at me this morning.

"Cool." I replied, with a lack of anything better to say.

"Who's place?" asked Naruto, "Can't be mine, 'cause my house is getting renovated," I didn't miss the millisecond look the two guys shared at _renovated_, "unless you want to work in the garage." And it definitely can't be at my place, I don't want people to know my parents are in a constant war, or that I have an anorexic cat. Both are pretty embarrassing.

"Um… It can't be at my place… sorry." I said.

Naruto and I looked at Sasuke.

I hope he doesn't think this is some scheme for me to get to go to his house (which isn't a half-bad idea).

He rolled his eyes to look away from us, and let out a sigh, before reluctantly grunting, "Hn."

Oh my god- I get to go to Sasuke's house!

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Sakura POV

I got home a little later than usual. When I walked in the front door, the phone was ringing- the caller ID said it was my dad.

"Hi Dad." I said into the phone.

"Oh, hey honey, I've been calling for 10 minutes." He answered.

"…"

"Right, uh, babysitting. It's a last minute thing- a guy at work needs someone to babysit his daughter tonight, until 9:00 pm."

"Okay, what time should I get there?" I asked.

"Oh, they're dropping her off here, and at 4:00." He replied. I looked at the clock on the phone- it was 3:46.

"Dad! That's like in 15 minutes!" And the girl is coming here? That's weird.

"I know, hun, but I already said you were available. Besides, they're pretty wealthy- you could make a lot tonight."

"But she's coming here!" What was my dad thinking?

"Sakura, think of the purse."

I huffed. "Fine dad."

"Okay, sweetie, I've got to go, there's another call."

"Kay, dad, bye."

"Bye, hun."

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It was 4:04 and the doorbell finally rang. I opened it to a blonde woman dressed very nicely. I then noticed, that half-hiding behind her, was the little girl I was supposed to babysit. She looked like a child version of the woman (who I presumed was her mother).

"Hi," the woman smiled warmly, while removing her sunglasses, "I'm Mrs. Carter, is Sakura home?"

"Um, yeah, that's me." I replied. Wow. The woman, or Mrs. Carter, was so pretty- and she kind of looked familiar. And my dad was right, about making a lot tonight, by the look of her clothes, she looked _very_ wealthy.

"Oh, thank you so much, I have a meeting in about," she checked her watch (a very nice watch too), "Oh! I have to go, um, Sarah," she said, turning to the little girl behind her, and gestured into the door after giving her a quick hug and kiss, "Now you be good. And do whatever Sakura says, okay?" Sarah nodded shyly, and Mrs. Carter turned back to me. "Thank you so much, I'm sorry about the last minute arrangement."

"No problem," I half-lied.

"I'll be back at 9:00pm, bye Sarah!" she called as she got back into her car. And I might add it was a very nice car too. Not sure what kind, but it was black and shiny and pretty. Sarah waved to it as it pulled out of the driveway.

"So," I started as soon as I shut the door, "What would you like to do?"

Sarah was quiet, and for a moment- I thought she wasn't going to answer. During this time I looked over to the stairs where Samuel was hastily making is way up- I think that was a smart idea for him- who knows what a little girl will do to a cat? Besides, Sammy is fragile.

After looking around the front hall, Sarah finally spoke.

"Can I have some juice?"

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Sarah had 6 glasses of apple juice. I didn't even know someone so small could have so much water capacity. Anyways, while she drank her juice, I asked questions and got to know her a bit more.

"So, Sarah, how old are you?" I took the usual babysitter tone of voice- the one where you talk slowly and encouragingly.

"Six" she said, and took another sip from her glass.

"Wow, so you're a big girl?"

She nodded her head energetically.

"So do have any siblings?" I asked.

"What are siblings?"

"Brothers and sisters."

"I've got a brother. He's a stupid head."

"Yeah, boys are pretty stupid, aren't they?"

She nodded her head energetically again, "Uh- huh."

"So, what are your favourite things to do?"

"I like ponies, and Barbies and flowers. Oh- I like puppies too." I noticed she pronounced her "r"s like "aw"s. I also noticed she didn't really answer my question.

"I love puppies too." I answered.

"Do you have a puppy?" she asked looking around the kitchen.

"No, but I wished I did. Do you have any pets?"

"Uh- huh. I got a bird named MiMi, and a bunny named Bun Bun."

"That's pretty cool," I said as she finished her last glass of apple juice. "So what do you want to do now?" She was about to answer when the phone rang- it was my dad. He said that he had an emergency meeting about a shipment gone wrong ('unbelievable' he said), so he wouldn't get home until late. He then told me that my Mom was out with her friend whatsherface, so she would be home late too. Guess it was just me and Sarah (ironically). After hanging up I turned back to Sarah and repeated my original question. It was then that she noticed that my hair was pink. She was absolutely blown away by it, saying how I looked like her Rock Star Barbie and her Strawberry Shortcake doll.

That led us to our first activity- Dress up.

The moment Sarah entered my walk-in closet, she started going through all the dresses and skirts as if it were second nature. When she found the ones she liked, she'd hand them to me so she could try them on later. Then she went through all the hats I had, then all the jewelry. She ended up wearing a blue dress of mine that I wore to one of my Dad's business dinners, a large sun hat that used to be my Mom's, and a long string of pearls. I have to say she looked pretty cute, with the dress being a gazillion times to big, and the sun hat practically covering all of her face. But dress up wasn't enough. We had to do something now that we were all "superfantabulous" as Sarah liked to put it. So I used one of the old tea sets my Mom keeps in the cupboards and we had a tea party. I used what stuffed animals I could find in my room and set them down on the empty chairs like Sarah insisted. I also filled some plates with cookies, and the cups with iced tea. She drank 3 glasses of iced tea, and still didn't go to the washroom yet. I'm sure that was a warning for me, but I didn't really realize it then.

The next activity was colouring. She made me draw her, and then a kitten, then a horse, then a field of flowers, then her with a kitten on a horse in a field of flowers. Then she coloured them in with markers, and surprisingly was very good at colouring within the lines. When she finished the last drawing, she put them all together and said they were "superfantabulous."

After getting her changed out of my clothes, it was 7:30, only one and a half hours left until she leaves. We decided to watch a movie then, and the only really kid-friendly movie I had was Harry Potter. But during the movie, she started to dance around in her seat. At first I thought it was her just being silly, until I heard the phrase "I gotta pee I gotta pee I gotta pee." That's when I knew it wasn't such a good idea to give a six-year-old 9 drinks. I rushed her to bathroom- but we were too late, and she ended up peeing all over her pants. After soothing the very upset six-year old, I gave her one of my pajama shorts and put her clothes into the washing machine, then we returned to Harry Potter. Halfway through the movie, I looked over to see Sarah asleep on the couch. She looked very familiar, though I couldn't place her. Oh well- I turned off Harry Potter and watched TV instead.

Nine o'clock came, and Mrs. Carter arrived exactly on time. Except when I opened the door, it wasn't Mrs. Carter I saw. It was Sasuke Uchiha.

What?

This left me in a confused stupor for like, ten seconds. Then, after snapping out of it, I asked, "Um, may I help you?"

He shoved his hands into his pockets and answered passively, looking away, "Is Sarah here?"

What?

I stared at him, blushing and still confused. "I'm sorry, what?" I finally said.

"I'm here to pick up Sarah- my sister." He said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Wait….. what?

"Uhhh, sure. She's kind of sleeping on the couch right now though." I replied very slowly. He just stared at me.

"Um, this way." I said, and led him to the first floor TV room, where Sarah was still fast asleep.

It was then that I finally realized why I thought Mrs. Carter and Sarah looked familiar. They were the drawings I looked at in Sasuke's sketchbook (before I trashed it). So I guess that proves he is her brother, though why would he look completely different, and have a different last name? I guess he was adopted? My voice started before my brain had a chance to stop it.

"Wait, I'm confused. How are you two brother and-" I started, but he cut me off.

"What is she wearing?"

"Oh… uh, she had a little bit of an accident… and I gave her my shorts to wear…her clothes are in the wash right now… I could give them to you tomorrow?" I answered nervously, and I blushed again.

Sasuke let out a frustrated sigh. "Fine." He said, and then lifted her off the couch bridal style, before walking back to the front door. I opened the door for him, but he didn't go through. Instead, he shifted the still sleeping Sarah into one hand and dug around in his pocket. Then he pulled out a wad of money and said, "Here," as he held it out to me.

I completely forgot about the money part, I guess I was too preoccupied with Sarah and the fact that Sasuke was her brother. Anyway, after I took the money, he walked out of the house and over to his Maserati Diablo. I noticed that he had a car seat in the back for Sarah, and I thought that was very cute, though it was very non-Sasuke.

"Um, I'll see you tomorrow?" I half called, half asked. He ignored me, got into his car, and drove off.

I looked at the wad of money and counted how much was there. One hundred and five dollars! Holy Shit! That is my all time record in money made babysitting- though I don't even babysit often… Oh well. But hey! I get my purse! The Chanel bag is MINE! I started doing a little victory dance, but my thoughts returned to Sasuke.

Who would have known that he was adopted? Well, I think he was adopted… I'll ask Naruto tomorrow. Hey- you know what's kind of cool (although a little creepy)?

Sasuke knows where I live.

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I woke up with the biggest smile on my face- why? Because it's Friday! AND FRIDAY IS MY DATE WITH NARUTO!

Oh my gosh, I'm so excited (even though I'm not really into Katana's music)! And guess what also? I made friggen 105 last night! Boo yah! I get my purse! I got dressed in my perfect outfit and looked in the full length mirror in my room. The purse would match my outfit "superfantabulously" as Sarah would say. Anyways, I'm definitely going to the mall and getting it once school is over. Then I can bring it to the concert! WITH NARUTO!

That reminded me- I've got to ask Naruto about Sasuke and his sister. I also have got to return Sarah's shorts to Sasuke. Biting my lips I remembered Sarah calling Sasuke a "stupid head."

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I was right- Sasuke is adopted- I got the info out Naruto when he caught me at my locker before school started.

Naruto: (walking to me with plastic bag in hand and small frown on face) Hey Sakura!

Me: Hey!

Naruto: Um, Sasuke told me to give this to you (small frown still on face as he hands over plastic bag)

Me: Oh… (looks in bag and sees pajama shorts) Oh! He actually remembered, I wasn't sure if he would.

Naruto: (small frown still present as he starts to shift uncomfortably) Hey, Sakura… (he continues –a little reluctantly- after I answer with a "yeah?") Can I ask why Sasuke is giving you your pajamas back?

Me: (comprehension dawns on face as to why Naruto was frowning in the first place- get your mind out of the gutter Naruto! Though I do understand how he could misinterpret what happened… with Sasuke giving me my own clothes back…) Ooooohhhh, I babysat his sister last night and she had an accident, so I gave her a pair of my pj's.

Naruto: (frown disappears, looks relieved) Oh, I was just… yeah. Uhhh… (cheeks flush- awwww)

Me: Can you give this to Sasuke? (hands him Sarah's clothing) They're Sarah's clothes- I had to wash them first.

Naruto: Yeah, sure! (yup- he definitely is relieved) No problem (takes clothes).

Me: Umm, yeah, about Sasuke…(my turn to shift uncomfortably) Is he, um, adopted or something?

Naruto: Yeah, but he got some sort of inheritance so he made his adoptive family even richer (nice grammar Naruto), and he also kept his last name because of it.

Me: Okay… just, you know, wondering. (Not asking anymore questions 'cause I'm not _that_ nosy)

Naruto: …Hey- the concert is tonight!

Me: Yeah, I'm excited!

Naruto: (smiles really, really nicely) Me too, I- (five minute bell cuts him off) Well, I'll see you later today, bye! (It seems as if the five-minute bell cuts Naruto off very frequently)

Me: Bye! (packs up stuff and heads for art)

I blame Sasuke's attractiveness for making me not work during art. He came up to me when I was trying to draw in my document journal, and my concentration shattered the moment he came within a 3 foot radius of me.

He stood in front of me, silent and passive as always, until I gave him my full attention- which meant me shifting my position to look at him, and setting down my pencil and paper.

"You forgot the shoes." He stated.

"Uh… sorry, what?" I asked, not quite sure what he was talking about.

"Sarah's shoes." He stated, annoyed that he had to explain himself. Well he wouldn't be annoyed if he weren't so vague all the time. But I got flustered and blushed deeply all the same.

"Oh! Those! I'm sorry, I forgot that when you picked her up, you carried her, and she didn't have her shoes on, and we didn't put them on, all you did was give me the money- which was a lot by the way, because usually I only get like 40 or 50 dollars, but all you did was give me the money and we didn't put on her shoes, and how stupid of me! Because I got most of her clothing but not her shoes- but I forgot she didn't have them with her and I only noticed her pants and stuff, and I'm sorry, that was stupid of me. Really, really…" I trailed off when he raised an eyebrow, annoyed at my rambling. Damn my rambling! Why do I always do that around him? Oh yeah, because he should be arrested for being so superfantabulous/ intimidating because of his attractiveness. Wait; scratch that last thought- I can't look at him if he's in jail. Anyway, at least it was a raised eyebrow and not a glare.

I finally cleared my throat and answered properly, "Oh, I'll bring them Monday, or you can drop by my house, I'll leave them in a plastic bag on the front porch."

"Bring them tonight."

"Tonight… you're going to Katana too?" Was he coming with Naruto and I, or by himself? Unfortunately, my question wasn't answered because he walked away.

"I'll bring them then!" I called/ not really because I was too scared too and kind of faintly said it instead.

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Sakura's POV

Guess what time it is?! 3:45! So I'm out of school and driving to the mall to get my purse!

It was still sitting in the window when I got to the Chanel store. I paid with my debit card because my Dad put the remaining money needed for the purse in there.

The moment the cashier lady gave the bag to me, I clutched it to my chest. And the moment I got to my car, I put everything from my old purse into my spankin' new, beautifully white, absolutely fantastic Chanel bag. And when I drove home, it was sitting on my lap the whole way.

The first thing I did when I got home (aside from admiring my Chanel bag) was call Ino. We squealed for about 10 minutes about Naruto, my outfit, and my new purse, until she reminded me I had to get ready. She was right (it was 4:35), so I hung up and hopped into the shower. When the shower was done, I straightened my hair, got into my red dress and leggings, and put on a little bit of eyeliner and mascara. Then I put on some lip gloss and put it in my CHANEL PURSE!

After trying to feed Samuel (he didn't eat anything this time, so I dumped the food in his water, making him less than pleasant), I told my Dad I was going to a concert (not really specifying that it was a date), and waited at the top of the stairs- ready to bound down the moment the doorbell rang.

It was 5:37 and my feet were tapping against the stairs impatiently. Then, a minute later, the doorbell rang. I almost fell I ran down the stairs so fast. I composed myself briefly though, before opening the door. Naruto was on the other side looking _really_ good. Though he was wearing practically the same thing from school- a bright orange jacket and baggy jeans- he looked a little neater. It must have been the hair, because it was a tad tamer than the usual wild array of spikes.

"Hi!" we said at the same time (though mine wasn't as loud). We laughed at that, though it was a little cheesy, then Naruto, after getting a hold of him self, said, "Sorry for being late, I had to stop and get some gas for my car first." He gestured to the car parked at the side of the road.

"No problem," I replied, looking over his shoulder to his car. It was a bright orange (figures) Lexis. It was nice, but not as nice as a Maserati Diablo. Which reminded me…

"Hold on one second," I said, and ran around the corner to the first floor TV room. I came back with Sarah's shoes. "I forgot them, and Sasuke said to bring them to the concert." I explained. It was so easy to talk about him when Naruto was around.

"Oh yeah! I forgot the idiot was going!" he replied, as we walked to his car. I was about to open the door when he put a hand on my shoulder. "You look really nice," he said, then walked around to the driver's side.

I blushed deeply and mumbled a "thanks."

He smiled in return, and then got into his seat. I did the same, and as soon as I was settled, he drove off.

We stopped at some type of pizza restaurant on the way to the concert. The restaurant was pretty nice and the food was good. We also had some interesting conversations. I offered to pay for half of the bill, but he insisted to pay all of it. I finally convinced him to let me at least pay for some of it, and he agreed. Then he said, "We better hurry though, 'cause we wanna get a good spot at the concert." I nodded in agreement. We had exited the restaurant and were getting into his car when I realized something. Don't tickets assign your seats? Why would it matter whether or not we got there early?

"Um, Naruto?" I asked as he started the engine, "Where exactly are we sitting?"

"Only the best seats," he stated, with a huge grin on his face. "The mosh pit."

Oh Shit.

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I brought my purse into the stadium with me. It was that, or leave it in Naruto's car and risk the car getting broken into. It wasn't the smartest idea, but it was really the only choice I had.

I clutched my Chanel bag to my chest as we entered the mosh pit. Okay, nothing was bad yet- the music hadn't started so people were just kind of talking- well, yelling over other people's voices. Naruto and I tried to talk but it was too loud, so we ended up just looking around the stadium. I kept an eye out for Sasuke to help pass the time. I thought I spotted him once or twice, but I'm not sure.

When the lights darkened, my eyes turned to the stage to see the opening band. The stadium was filled with screams as they started playing, and I clung to Naruto's arm when people started to jump around. I missed the huge, goofy smile that spread across his face as I did so, because I was too occupied with making sure me and my Chanel bag didn't get squished.

I thought it wouldn't get worse, but I was so wrong.

When Katana came out, people started screaming so loud I thought my eardrums would burst. And when the band started playing, I'm pretty sure they did. I looked up at Naruto, who seemed to be laughing- probably at my ever tightening hold on his arm. I'm pretty sure he'll have bruises the next day from my vice grip. Actually, I think _I'll_ be the one to have bruises tomorrow- the people around Naruto and I were jumping and bashing against us so much I'm surprised I didn't fall down.

I suddenly turned my head to look behind me- I swear, out of the corner of my eye, I had seen Sasuke. I turned all the way around to scan the crowd more thoroughly- which was hard with everything being dark and moving and loud.

That was when I felt some random guy grope my butt. I shrieked and went back to clutching Naruto's arm, and stayed like that for the next four songs. But I thought I saw Sasuke out of the corner of my eye again, and when I turned around, it really was Sasuke. He was about 10 feet away from us and was standing still, face passive as usual. I tugged on Naruto's sleeve to get his attention. When he looked down, I pointed to Sasuke. He grinned when he saw what I was pointing at, then pulled us both through the crowd towards him. But everyone was shoving and jumping and pushing and I accidentally let go of Naruto's arm.

Almost immediately I was surrounded by people bashing against each other and dancing wildly. I was terrified. A random guy came up to me and was like, "Hey Baby" before trying to touch me in places he shouldn't. I punched him in the face. Well, I tried to.

Finally, Naruto found my arm and took a hold of it. This caused me to hold my purse in one arm. Which was a very bad thing to do when you're in a mosh pit filled with perverts.

I saw it coming too. The man that grabbed my but the first time pushed pass me swiftly- though in my eyes, it seemed as if he were in slow motion. His arm reached out and hooked under one of the straps. I just stared at him with large, petrified eyes- too afraid to do anything about it. Then, when he tugged the bag, it slipped fluently from my grasp. It was only until after I lost contact with my beloved purse did I do anything about it.

The next twenty seconds happened in a blur. I screamed out Naruto's name over the crowd and music. He looked at me and I gestured frantically to my purse and the pervert. Naruto took two steps and grabbed the guy's arm. The guy looked back at Naruto, ripped his arm out of his grasp and ran- right into Sasuke.

Sasuke seemed to tower over my purse-stealer, though he was only an inch taller. Then, he took a hold of my purse in on hand and almost _casually _(seriously, he did it so naturally), punched the pervert guy- who then stumbled back and was lost in the crowd. I couldn't hear what Naruto was saying because of the blaring music and hyper crowd, but he seemed pretty happy as he took the purse from Sasuke and presented it to me, as if he was the one who saved it. I took my purse back and clutched it forcefully to my chest. Naruto and Sasuke silently decided to stand on either side of me, just in case the purse- stealer came back (though I believe Sasuke was there because he was just too lazy to move). I observed the rest of the concert clinging to Naruto's arm tightly.

The concert ended and Naruto and I made it out of the stadium with only getting 7 shoves and 2 butt- grabs (to me- not to Naruto). I was surprised there were no purse stealing attempts. Maybe it was because I was with two tall and pretty muscular guys. When we were finally in fresh air, I pulled Sarah's shoes from my purse and gave them to Sasuke. He nodded ever so slightly, and left without a word.

I didn't have time to think about that though because Naruto was pulling me in the direction of his Lexis. He said we should hurry so we won't get caught in the traffic jam. When we were safe and sound inside his car, I thanked him for an awesome night (even if it was completely terrifying- but I didn't tell him that). He said we should do it again, but maybe not a concert. I said 'Like on another date?' and he said 'yeah.' I blushed and said 'okay.'

It was 11:45 when he pulled up in front of my house.

"Thanks again, that was really fun." I said, putting my bag over my shoulder. "And thank you- about getting my purse back and stuff."

"No problem, I had fun too." He replied, grinning. "Even if you were clinging to me the whole time," he teased.

"Hey, it was pretty crazy down there, and I was trying to keep my purse safe." I defended.

He laughed and I joined him. Though it seemed all the laughing we did was kind of corny. "Well, thanks, again," I said as I opened the door of the car.

"Hey, Sakura?" he said before I got out.

I turned to him, still sitting, "Yeah?"

That was when he leaned in, and put his lips to mine. I'm positive my insides turned to jelly at that moment. He pulled away after a couple of seconds and smiled, "Goodnight."

"Night," I answered breathlessly, and got out of the car, blushing profusely. After closing the car door, I walked briskly to my house, unlocked it, and waved to Naruto before shutting the door and running up to my room.

I laid on my bed for about five minutes, with a huge smile on my face and my hand over my lips (Sam was a little confused at my behavior, but lay beside me anyways). And when all the night's events registered fully into my mind- buying my purse, Naruto picking me up, saying I looked nice, taking me to dinner, taking me to Katana, then KISSING me- I couldn't help but roll over and squeal loudly and happily into my pillow.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 10

**Chapter 5**

Sasuke's POV

Sasuke felt like slamming his head into the steering wheel. He restrained himself though, because firstly – it would hurt, secondly – the horn would blare (giving him even more of a headache), and thirdly – he would most likely get himself and his sister, currently occupying the car seat in the back, in a car accident. But as he kept on driving, that feeling turned into more of an urge – Sarah was currently singing 'wheels on the bus' for the seventeenth time, and Sasuke was trying to keep his cool.

Earlier that Saturday morning, Marie, Sarah's mother, asked Sasuke to take Sarah out for the day. Sasuke was planning to do absolutely nothing that day, honestly, but since he didn't really have anything to use as back-up if he said no, the answer was obvious. Sarah was his responsibility for the next 6 hours. Besides, to Sasuke, it wasn't like he had a choice – if he ever did say no, he would get this horrible feeling eating away at the pit of his stomach – guilt – and it only ever occurred when it involved the Carter family.

Mr. and Mrs. Carter had always wanted a child, but when Marie was told she couldn't have children, they turned to adoption. They adopted Sasuke when he was eight years old, not long after he was orphaned. Sasuke was a peculiar circumstance, not in that he was a cold, moody and reticent child (although that did add to it), but Sasuke had millions and millions of dollars to his name with the inheritance from his birth parents. So as he was rejected by almost everyone who came in looking to adopt, his money was not- it was the head of orphanage who had to say 'no' to all those looking for other purposes than to have a child. However, when the Carters came looking to adopt, it wasn't at the orphanage Sasuke was in, rather, the orphanage they went to directed them to where Sasuke was. Because who better to adopt this cold, unkind, extremely wealthy child than a couple who could manage a cold and unkind child where being wealthy made no difference- Marie and Phillip were already loaded, a couple more mills were irrelevant. But then, four years after Sasuke's adoption, a "miracle", as the doctors called it, happened. - Marie became pregnant with Sarah.

Ever since Sarah was born, Sasuke had been protective of her- maybe a little over-protective, but that was the way Sasuke worked. He would make sure she was never hurt or spoken badly of, and whenever she cried, he would try and make it better – in his own sort of Sasuke-way. Maybe he needed to someone to protect, to compensate for what he lost when he was eight, or maybe he felt like he had to. Either way, he loved the Carter family, though admitting 'love' was one of the last things he'd do on earth.

"…All through the town! The wheels on the bus…"

Okay, maybe he didn't love Sarah right now – but still…

"… Go Round and Round! Round and Round! Round and Round! The wheels on the bus go Round and Round! All through the town! The wheels on the bus go-"

"Sarah." Sasuke interrupted.

"Yes Sasuke?!" she sang.

"Stop singing."

"But I'm on a bus so I'm singing about it!"

"This is not a bus."

"Oh. Then what is it?" She asked. Sarah was able to get side tracked easily, but she also tended to ask questions until she was satisfied with the answers. And sometimes it took her a _long_ time to get satisfied – but at least she wasn't singing.

"A Maserati Diablo." Sasuke replied.

"What's that?"

"The car from James Bond."

"Who's James Bond?"

"A spy."

"He's a spy?"

"Yes."

"Does he do cool sneaky things?"

"Yes."

"Can I do cool sneaky things?"

Sasuke sighed, frustrated. This was as bad as non-stop Wheels on the Bus. But if it meant that Sarah was happy, "Yes."

"Can I be a spy?"

"Yes."

"Can I have a codename?"

"Sure."

"What is it?"

"I don't know."

"But Sasuke!"

"Agent Sarah."

"What?"

"Your code name. Agent Sarah."

"That's stupid. You're a stupid-head."

"Then pick one yourself."

"You should be Agent Stupid-head."

"Hn."

"Sasuke!"

"Agent Super Fantabulous."

"…Is that your name or my name?"

"Your name."

"I like that name."

"Good."

"What's your codename?"

"I don't have one."

"Why not?"

"Because."

"Because why?"

"Do you want to go to Starbucks?" Sasuke asked, changing topic.

"You mean the fancy coffee place?"

"Yes."

"Only if I can be Agent Superfantabulous."

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"Sarah, what do you want?" Sasuke asked when they got to Starbucks. Sarah ignored him. "Sarah," Sasuke said, getting impatient.

"My name's not Sarah, its Agent Super Fantabulous, remember?" she whispered.

"Your name is Sarah."

"But you said it was Agent Super Fantabulous."

"That is a codename."

"Oh."

"What do you want?"

"Can I have," Sarah thought for a moment before saying, "Lemonade."

"That is not enough for lunch."

"Okay… That sandwich, and… that cookie!" she said, pointing to the two objects on the shelves. Sasuke nodded and then ordered, adding on a sandwich for himself. The cashier girl tried to, unsuccessfully, flirt with him, and all her attempts were ignored.

When Sasuke paid for and received their order, he turned around to locate Sarah.

"Fuck." He muttered to himself- she was over talking to none other than paper towel girl- who was sitting at a table with one of her annoying friends.

"Fuck." He muttered again, before reluctantly walking over to their table.

"Sarah. Time to go." He said, interrupting their conversation. Paper towel girl looked up, surprised, and the blonde girl looked up and let out a squeak.

"Sasuke, can we sit with them!?" She asked, tugging on his shirt.

"Sure?" answered paper towel girl, seemingly surprised that she blurt out an agreement, moving over so there was room for the both of them. The blonde friend just sat there, stunned.

"No." Sasuke replied, turning to leave.

"Pleeeeaaasse!?" Sarah pleaded, giving Sasuke her infamous puppy-dog eyes.

"No."

"Oh." Sarah answered morosely, sighed heavily, and looked down at the ground.

Sasuke's jaw tightened. …Why the fuck did she have to do that? He hesitated, knowing full well that Sarah was doing this on purpose, then answered through clenched teeth, only because it would make Sarah happy, "Fine."

"Really? Thanks Sasuke! See Sakura? He's not a stupid-head all of the time!" Sarah said and climbed onto the seat, then gestured for Sasuke to do the same, "Come Sasuke! Sit next to me!" Sasuke, keeping his face indifferent, sat down next to her. He was fucking screwed.

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Sakura's POV

If it weren't for Sarah's non-stop talking, this would have been a gazillion times worse than it already was. I really didn't mean to say "Sure" – it just slipped, and Sarah complied before I could do anything about it. And now Sasuke is across the table from me and I can't stop blushing.

I don't know why I'm blushing either- it's not like he's saying anything. Well, he says "Eat" in an indifferent voice every time Sarah forgets about her food when telling a really long story. I think that the only reason on why Sasuke tells her to "eat" is to get her to stop talking.

Personally, I thought it was quite cute, because Sarah would talk about anything and everything. Even things about Sasuke – like how he is building his own car in their garage, or how she sometimes sleeps in his bed during thunderstorms.

Maybe I was blushing because she was giving away personal information, and the look on Sasuke's face as his pride and dignity was slowly being torn apart was rather – well, adorable. And a little sexy. …But I'll keep that to myself. Because I'm not supposed to think that about my maybe-hopefully-I-really-wish-he-was-boyfriend's best friend. And I usually don't think that way about guys either. Usually it is a simple 'attractive' or 'unattractive' judgment. Maybe there is an exception to really, really hot guys who are sitting only a foot away from you. That's probably why my thinking is haywire. And it's possibly why I was blushing so much.

Or _maybe_ I was blushing because Sasuke had an expression that wasn't fully passive (or intoxicated). Though his face stayed almost completely stoic and indifferent, there were hints of what I think was humiliation. I would be too if my little sibling was blabbering private information about me to someone I barely know and gradually ruining my reputation. I would be, if I had a little sibling. …Or a reputation to keep up with, really. But Sasuke seemed to keep his face well hidden and continue with his usual nature (like when I raised an eyebrow at how he ate his sandwich –taking off the tomatoes and leaving them for last – and he just stared at me, unmoving), even with Sarah present – though I noticed he seemed quite a bit more gentle, if that makes any sense. Like, he didn't glare or use profanities at all because Sarah was here.

I also could be blushing because every time I would say something to Sarah, Sasuke would look at me; annoyed. I had to edit my words very carefully the whole time, I was afraid I would say something to Sarah that Sasuke would disapprove of. I mean, he did seem highly protective of her and he did act like he had _some_ form of feelings for her. He wouldn't have agreed to sit down with us if he was unfeeling for Sarah.

But perhaps I was blushing because every time I spoke, I would get flustered, and then wouldn't be able to form coherent sentences, and then I would stutter. Kind of like Hinata. Who, FYI, is acting really weird lately. I called her to tell her about how my date went and she was all distant and stuff. It's probably because it was about Naruto, and she does have a crush on him too. But unless she was like, super madly crushing on him, there is no reason for her to act so weird. Maybe she is super madly crushing on him…

Anyway, back to blushing.

It could be because of Ino, who was acting like a complete idiot (more so than I was). She was constantly trying to flirt with him and batting her eyelashes and stuff. It was a little embarrassing. And what made it even more embarrassing was that she persisted even though she was completely ignored. She only toned it down a little when Sarah stared at her for a long time before saying, "You're stupid." I tried to suppress laughter, and I'm pretty sure I saw Sasuke's lips twitch, but I'm not quite sure.

To sum it all up, I bet Sasuke had a I _super_ time.

Not.

At all.

I think he was extremely pissed.

I mean, if I were an amazingly attractive guy, who was forced to sit with my annoying adoptive sibling who I don't want anyone finding out about, and said sibling was spilling personal information to two annoying idiots who were either trying to flirt with me, or babbling like a they were retarded, then having to withstand all of it for a full half hour because I had to keep my reputation and keep my sibling happy for a freakin' half hour then, yeah, I guess I would be pissed too.

So I was kind of relieved when Sarah was finished eating her lunch, because Sasuke wasted no time in leaving, though something in me wanted him to stay. Well, at least I could continue to drink my latte- which I hadn't touched since Sarah came in dragging her beautiful older brother. But as soon as the foam touched my lips, I saw Sasuke again. He and Sarah were outside the big window of the café, and Sasuke looked like he wasn't obliging to what Sarah, who was tugging on his shirt and had the most innocent of faces on, was begging for. Then Sasuke finally nodded his head and crouched. Sarah did a little victory dance before climbing onto his back with a huge smile on her face. Sasuke stood up and started walking with Sarah on his back. I waved to Sarah when she caught eye of me. She waved back, giggled, and then waved again. Sasuke turned to see what Sarah was looking at, and when he spotted me, his lips quirked into a smile. No wait – it wasn't a smile – it was a smirk. A very smug, almost triumphant one too. Why? Beats me.

I turned back to Ino, but the moment I faced her, she started laughing hysterically. In between her spurts of laughter, she made a gesture for me to touch my cheek. When I did, I realized why Sasuke was smirking. I had a huge glob of latte foam on the side of my face when I waved to Sarah. _Shit._ My eyes widened, and I rubbed at my cheek furiously with a napkin as my face turned beat red. Then I buried my face into my hands in pure embarrassment.

Shitshitshitshitshitshitshitshitshitshitshitshitshitshitshitshit.

That was the only word in my vocabulary during the next 3 hours. Why does everything that could possibly go wrong, go wrong for me?

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Something very surprising happened this morning. Actually 10 surprising things happened this morning.

1. Naruto was waiting for me when I got to the doors of the school.

2. Naruto said, "Hey Babe." A little weird, I know.

3. Naruto gave me a light peck and started walking.

4. Naruto took my hand in his.

5. Naruto and I walked like that through the school to my locker.

6. Naruto waited for me to get out my things before staying to talk with me.

7. Naruto kissed me again.

8. Naruto asked me on another date after Sasuke's on Tuesday.

9. Naruto kissed me again and then went to his class when the 5 minute bell rang

10. I didn't like numbers 1-9.

Well, I liked them, but isn't it a little bold or something? I mean, we had one date, we kissed once, and now he's acting like we're super tight. And I'm confused, because he does it in such a sweet way, but it is a little fast. Wasn't there some rule where you wait for the third date to actually kiss?

And another thing – the whole school saw it. It wasn't like they were kind of secret little things. Naruto kissed me right out in the open for the whole world to see. That meant Ino and Hinata too.

Ino looked like she was about to burst, but ran to class after winking at me. Hinata walked with me down to art, and didn't say one word the whole time. Which I was partially glad for because then it would be less embarrassing for me. But I didn't like that the silence on the walk to our class was uncomfortable.

And the silence stayed like that even after we got to the art room. But then I started a conversation that had absolutely no point to it, just to get rid of the tension – or whatever it was that was causing all of this not talking. Hinata joined in too, which I was happy about, though she still seemed a little discontented. I also told her about meeting Sasuke in Starbucks. I know I shouldn't have, because when I told the story I told her every detail of it (including the personal information on Sasuke), but it was the only way to keep Hinata from being all distant like.

Either I spoke too loud, or everyone was very quiet, because I found Sasuke glaring at me from across the room, again. And his glare looked angry. Yeah, it kind of was a stupid thing to do, talking about Sasuke when he is in the same room as me. I think if I were a guy he would have walked over to where I was sitting and punched me. It was a good thing I was going out with Naruto now too, because that kind of gave me a safety shield against his friends. But still, if looks could kill, I would be dead now. Actually, I would have been dead a long time ago (the whole sketchbook ordeal). …Basically, I made Sasuke angry again. Woops.

It was my turn to be silent now. Very, very silent.

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We had a test today in English. It was a content test on Macbeth and I forgot to study for it so I kind of winged it. I did read the book though, so I think I did pretty well.

Ino begged for me to tell her about Naruto at lunch. And when I did, Hinata went back to being distant. I also told Ino though, that Naruto was going a little fast with this whole thing. She said 'what do you expect; he's one of the popular guys – hey, now you'll be popular too!' …Geez, thanks for the sympathy, Ino.

I was actually nervous when I went to Instrumental class; I didn't know what Naruto would do. So when I got there, I put together my flute really quickly and practiced my scales until class officially started (though I may have looked a little loserish while doing so). That way I wouldn't have to talk… or kiss.

I know I'm making a huge deal out of this Naruto thing, but I've never officially dated before so I'm not an exact expert on it. It's not that I don't like Naruto, because I really do, it's just that I'm a little bit shy and new at this whole dating thing.

Naruto held my hand all the way to Biology, and he only let go once we were seated. Unfortunately, Naruto made us sit next to Sasuke. And what made it even more unfortunate was that the first thing Naruto said to him was, "Hey idiot! I heard you met Sakura at Starbucks!"

Sasuke narrowed his eyes at Naruto and then shifted his gaze to me, turning it into a glare. I, of course, blushed and looked away. Naruto laughed, not quite getting the tension between us. He then made it worse when he continued to speak.

"Aw, don't get mad, Sasuke! You're not the only one who is ruled over by a six year old!" and he burst out laughing again. I think he was supposed to follow up the statement with a 'wait, yes you are!' but he never did, making the joke not much of a joke – not that it was a very funny one in the first place.

I shifted uncomfortably and Sasuke turned his glare to the front of the classroom.

Then I felt someone whisper in my ear.

"You even smell like cherry blossoms."

I shrieked and jumped into Naruto, who fell off his seat and into Sasuke. I ended up half on my chair, half on Naruto's chair, Naruto ended up on the ground with all our books and binders around him, and Sasuke managed to stay upright in his chair, only letting out a "Shit-head" to Naruto.

Before any of us could right ourselves though, I was pulled into the embrace of the catalyst. Of course, it was Lee.

"Oh Sakura! What tom foolery have you gotten yourself into, hm?" he said and gestured with one hand to the mess I made, while the other stayed around my waist.

"Um, Lee? Can you let go of me?" I said, and blushed at our proximity – he was holding me way too close for my liking. Actually, even touching me is way to close.

"Oh Sakura, your blush is the same colour of the flower you are named after!" He replied, ignoring me, and stroked my cheek. Uuuummmmmmmmmmmmmm, ew. I shivered in disgust and tried to wiggle out.

"Hey! What are you doing?!" yelled Naruto when he finally stood up and saw the position Lee had me in. He then tore me from Lee's embrace and into his own. Oh thank god! I thought caterpillar man would try something new if I didn't escape when I did.

"Why Naruto! Sakura and I were just exchanging dinner plans!" Lee falsely explained.

"Hey! She's my girlfriend! So back off!" Naruto said, getting angry. Oh my god! I'm officially his girlfriend! And two guys were having a fight over me! Except I'm not sure if Lee counts… I swear he's got issues. But Lee didn't seem to notice Naruto's anger and our relationship status, so he stayed his usual poetic and jubilant self.

"No one can tame the cherry blossom, no matter how fragile she may seem!" He then took my hand into his, but Naruto snatched me away, and pushed me behind him. I landed in Sasuke's lap. Hey – I was in three different guys' embrace in less than one minute! But once again I'm not sure Lee counts. And Sasuke's embrace was an accident – not really an embrace.

It was at that moment that Mr. Kakashi decided to come into the classroom. Without even taking his eyes off of his pervert book, he said calmly though authoritative, "Naruto, leave Lee alone. Lee, Sakura's not interested. Sakura, get out of Sasuke's lap. Sasuke, stop glaring at everyone." How did he do that? Was this like a Kakashi-knows-all thing or was he spying on us before he came in? Because that was way too creepy.

Anyways. Naruto let go of Lee's shirt, while Lee stepped back and blew a kiss to me. I turned my head away to ignore it and (reluctantly) got off of Sasuke's lap and back into my own seat with my face beat red. Sasuke didn't do anything – he just sat there – glaring at the front of the classroom.

Mr. Kakashi continued to talk, basically reminding us of our project and double checking our topics. He ended the class with telling us about a youth science club. He didn't sound very excited about it (nor did the rest of the class), but Lee jumped out of his seat when the bell rang, grabbed a sign up sheet, and ran out of the door yelling something about 'stoking the fires of youth'. Sasuke left without a word, and Naruto held my hand as he walked out with me.

I noticed Hinata glaring at me when Naruto and I got to my locker. Well, she wasn't really glaring, because I don't think Hinata _can_ glare – she's too nice. It was more like an icy, slightly pleading stare – but it was enough to make me feel guilty and betraying. So when Naruto bent down to kiss me, I looked away a little and tilted my head down.

"Um, Naruto?" I asked quietly, looking up through my bangs. He looked confused. "Could we maybe, um, tone down the, um, kissing?" My voice started off strong but ended in a whisper.

"Uh, sure Sakura. Sorry." He stilled looked confused, so after grabbing my belongings from my locker, I grabbed his hand and walked towards his locker. Then I explained.

"It's not your fault or anything. It's just, well…" I didn't really know how to tell him. How do you say, 'I'm not comfortable with this kissing stuff and one of my best friends is superbly crushing on you, but you are taken by me'? Well, I kind of told the half truth. "I don't think my friends are quite ready for it. I mean, _I'm_ fine, but they think that I'm going to spend all my time with you and none with them. So you'd be kind of like, stealing me or something." So I didn't tell the truth at all… Oh well.

It took Naruto a while to actually get what I was saying. "Oh…okay." He finally said when we got to his locker, but I'm not sure if he knew what I was asking. So I cleared it up for him.

"Maybe we should take it slow? You know, to make my friends feel better?" Wow, that sounded lame.

"Yeah, sure. Sorry though, I didn't want to make it seem that way." He said, taking his things from his own locker. When he finished, I put my hand back into his to reassure him.

"I told you, it's not your fault – we should just make it less, um, noticeable." I was really bad at lying. Good thing Naruto had tunnel vision.

He closed his locker, and then said, "Okay, I think I get it. Your friends are afraid I'm going to steal you, so we should make it not seem that way by not kissing around them?"

Close enough.

"Um, yeah…" I replied as he walked me to the parking lot. Naruto looked around before turning to smile at me.

"But we can now, right?" He looked so excited when he said it that I'm pretty sure he still didn't get it. But his face was so happy then, I couldn't say no. So I lied again.

"Um, sure?" I hesitantly answered.

His smile became mischievous and he backed me up against the lockers in the hallway. I had this funny feeling that this shouldn't be happening, but it was only a minority. The majority was becoming exceedingly nervous. My heart beat raced and the butterflies decided to have a party in my stomach as Naruto bent his head towards me. His eyes were closed when his lips touched mine, but my eyes stayed wide open- painfully aware of the fact that we were in public and there were people probably watching us. When his lips started moving against mine, I scrunched my eyes close in an attempt to block out the public factor. But I could still _hear_ everything. Maybe if I tried kissing him back, everything would go away except for Naruto, and I wouldn't be so…. Paranoid? Is that what I was feeling? Or was it the little minority feeling that was saying this isn't right?

My pondering ended when Naruto pulled away and continued walking, pulling me with him by grabbing onto my hand. He had a huge grin on his face when he looked back – unaware of the fact that I was uncomfortable and slightly indecisive.

When we got to my car, he kissed me again, and this time I kissed him back – hoping to drive away the nagging in my stomach. It worked – the kissing back thing – the nagging turned into a soft buzzing. Especially when his hands took a hold of my waist and my arms went around his neck. It took a couple of seconds, but I finally found myself enjoying the kiss. I have to admit, I didn't really know what I was doing – but it seemed that Naruto liked it. Though throughout the whole kiss, I wondered if this is what our relationship would be based on.

And I was relieved when my cell phone rang. It was my dad telling me that he was going to work late that night and I could heat up some pizzas in the freezer for dinner. When I hung up, it seemed Naruto wanted to continue what we started – so I pretended that my dad wanted me home early and that's why he called. Naruto believed me and gave me a peck for a goodbye. I got into my car and drove home, turning on the radio to distract me from my thoughts.

So dating Naruto isn't all that I thought it would be. But it was only the beginning, right? And at least I have him, and I'm not just flirting with him, right?


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 13

**Chapter 6**

Sakura's POV

Oh. My. God. I am at Sasuke Uchiha's house. Firstly, it's absolutely ginormous. Secondly, there are like, maids and butlers and chefs and EVERYTHING! Thirdly, according to Naruto, I'm the only girl who has been allowed into the Uchiha property by Sasuke that is not a party guest of some sort. But what was as amazing as actually _being_ at the house, was _getting_ there.

Okay, so school had just ended and it completely slipped my mind that it was Tuesday. Also, Naruto still didn't get the 'take it slow' policy I tried to put forward the day before. So I had a plan that once the bell rang, I would grab all my stuff from my locker and drive home as fast as possible to avoid all the kissing and couple stuff that was way beyond where I was at right then. So, I did follow through with my plan, and it was easy since Naruto and I have different last periods on day 2's. But I forgot it was Tuesday. And I got in my car and drove home (might I add there was some strange whirring sound coming from my ford as I drove) forgetting all about what was supposed to happen after school.

I got home and hung out with Samuel until my phone rang about a half hour later. I looked at the Caller ID and it was then that I finally realized that we were planning to go to Sasuke's after school. The first thing I said when I picked up was, "Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry! I completely forgot!" And then I rambled on and on about some lame excuse as to why I was home in a rush and not there. I didn't even give Naruto a chance to speak I was talking so fast.

But then the person on the other end of the phone spoke and I realized that it wasn't Naruto on the phone, but Sasuke.

And after realizing this, I went into another ramble of apologies. Sasuke, on the other end, interrupted me saying he was going to drop by to get me. Naruto and Sasuke had apparently made it to his house when, after I had not shown up, decided to do a round about the neighborhood to see if I was lost on the way to getting there. They had finally decided to call my house when I was not found, and since they were already out, it would be easier just to pick me up. And Sasuke sounded very annoyed on the phone, so I wasn't sure what his mood would be like in person- and that made me nervous. What also made me nervous was being in Sasuke's car.

When I entered Sasuke's car, it felt like I was transferred into a James Bond movie. Not only was I sitting beside an amazingly attractive guy, but the car was crazy high-tech and fancy. And when he started driving, I couldn't help but smile. First- he is a much, _much_, better driver than Naruto (while Sasuke drives smoothly, Naruto drives all jerky), and second, the car made the ride so smooth and he went so fast that I found myself grinning. I think Sasuke saw me grinning too, because he gave me a side-long glance before speeding up. He then turned off the main routes and drove through the community streets, where, I believed, he was showing off- because he'd do all these cool turns while going really fast, and sometimes I held onto the seat in anticipation for the upcoming tricks. But he kept it all very subtle. If I were someone completely not obsessed with Sasuke, then I would have thought he was just a crazy driver, but I could see the suppressed smirk on his face and the obvious difference in his driving from when we were on the main roads.

I only smiled more when we reached his house. It was in one of those really nice gated communities where you have to stop at the gate and talk to the camera where a concierge guy would let you in. It was so unrealistic; it was like being in a movie – every house around it looked huge and rich, though Sasuke definitely had the biggest one.

It almost looked Victorian and old fashioned because of the ivy that ran up the bricks and the perfectly grown gardens. There was also a huge driveway that did the circle thing around a fountain in the front, and it lead to a huge garage in the back where Sasuke parked. Even though the car was off and Sasuke had gotten out with the usual passive face, I couldn't stop grinning. …I should get rides with Sasuke more often. But then I wondered why Sasuke had picked me up and not Naruto. He said that Naruto was still out looking, and when I said, 'shouldn't you call him on his cell phone?', he just stared at me and walked towards the house. I guess Naruto will call Sasuke sooner or later.

When we entered the actual house part, I tried not to gape. There were butlers near the entrance and they welcomed Sasuke and me, and there were these other maid looking type people – it was so cool. But it wasn't just the house's servers that amazed me – it was the house itself. You'd think that the president could live there it was so nice. It had the traditional two staircases that curved down on either side of the front hall and a chandelier hanging from the ceiling. Basically, imagine your dream mansion and that's what you got as Sasuke's house. He led me to a library that was to the left of the front hall. I think there were more books there than what we had at our school. Then I wondered why Sasuke went to our school and not some rich private school.

My thoughts were interrupted though, by a hyper active Sarah running into the Library. She was holding 4 pieces of paper- 2 had drawings on them and two were covering half of each drawing. After greeting me enthusiastically, she showed me the papers. They both had what seemed to be a curve with spikes on it, but the other halves of the drawings were covered by the other papers, so it was difficult to tell what the image was. Then she said while holding out the papers, "Hey Sakura! Can you guess what they are?" I flickered my eyes to Sasuke, who looked annoyed, then turned them back to Sarah before shaking my head 'no'. "Well look!" she continued and uncovered the first drawing.

It was of a chicken, and the rounded spiky part was the chicken's but. Then she uncovered the second one and it was a drawing of Sasuke's profile, and the curved spiky part was the back of his hair.

"Look! Look! Sasuke has chicken-butt hair! Isn't that superfantabulous?!" I giggled, and turned back to Sasuke, who had his finger pointed towards the door of the Library and said 'out' to Sarah. Sarah bounced up and down a couple of times with a pout on her face, collected her papers, and ran through the exit, yelling, "Bye chicken-butt!" I laughed again and Sasuke narrowed his eyes at me – so I shut myself up.

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When Naruto finally arrived, I was somewhat grateful. Even though he gave me a longish kiss (which was rather sloppy – I ended up wiping my mouth when he turned away), he broke the awkward silence between me and Sasuke while we were waiting for him to arrive. Apparently, Naruto and Sasuke went off searching for me in different directions, and Sasuke had thought to call me before Naruto did, making him the one to pick me up.

"Oops…" I realized that I had forgotten my knapsack at home in the rush to get into Sasuke's car. Naruto and Sasuke looked at me and I explained. Sasuke rolled his eyes and Naruto was more than happy to share his notebook and pencils with me. I then noticed how messy Naruto was. His binder was made up of unorganized loose-leafs and all his pencils and pens had bite marks on them, even the ones he gave me to use.

We first decided to plan out who would be doing what and when for the project. Step number one was to draw the focus, or in our case- a hand- from a view outside of the body. Naruto proclaimed that since he 'could not draw for beans', he was going to go raid Sasuke's kitchen for food. I didn't say anything, nor did Sasuke. I'm guessing we had a mutual feeling about not wanting Naruto working on any type of drawing related steps in fear of him screwing them up.

So that left Sasuke and I alone in the library again. For the first thirty seconds, Sasuke just stared at me. I found myself staring back, not that it was meant as some sort of brave act, but that he was just _so_ good to look at. Then, he raised an eyebrow, and I realized he was only looking at me because he wanted me to initiate the discussion of 'who was doing what'. I blushed and looked away as I usually do, but he kept on staring. How am I supposed to talk when his eyes or boring into me?

"Um, why don't you… erm, draw the picture… you're… really good… I could get started on the, uh, writing….stuff…" I offered in a half- strangled voice. He was _still_ looking at me. And when he continued staring, I got a little flustered and started rambling again. I swear my mouth is separate from my brain. This was a perfect example of it. Externally, I was blabbering about other ideas we could do, but internally, I was like, 'Shit! Shit! Shit! Stop talking!' Its funny how, when I am flustered, I have no problem in speaking freely to Sasuke, though when I am normal, all my courage and integrity is depleted.

I finally stopped when Sasuke interrupted – which I was thankful for, though it still was embarrassing.

"The first one." Was all he said, before getting himself his own pencils and paper. I gave a small nod before turning to the things Naruto had left me. Frankly, I didn't really want to touch them, because they looked a little nasty.

Where I was going to place the title of 'Step one, sketches', I noticed that the sheet of paper had _something_ stuck to it. Ew.

And I didn't even touch the pencils he let me use- I mean, I get enough of Naruto's mouth while I'm at school. I don't need to be drawing where he has bitten into.

Sasuke noticed my reluctance to touch Naruto's things, and after rolling his eyes again, he pulled out a couple more sheets and pencils from his knapsack and flicked them across the table, over to where I was.

I lightly jot-noted what I was going to do first, and then started the actual writing. I looked up every once in a while to see how Sasuke was doing, and in my head I decided that he was going to do all the drawings, because mine would look like two year old's scribbles compared to his. Of course, Sasuke finished before me and it was amazing. I took a little while longer because he was staring at me again so it was hard to concentrate, which was really awkward. When I finished my work, we showed each other what we did, and I ended up trying to compliment Sasuke on his work (but it really only came out as a jumble of words). Sasuke had just started to get on the good copy of drawing the hand when Naruto came back in. He had three cups of steaming instant ramen, but apparently, they were all for himself- though he did offer me some, I refused because he held out the noodles on the fork in his hands expecting me to lean forward and take a bite while he still held onto the it. And that was a little weird.

I kind of just sat there as Sasuke drew and Naruto inhaled his ramen. Again, kind of awkward. So I started doodling on the jot-notes that I did. When I got bored of that, I started twiddling with the pencil in between my fingers. But then it flew out of my hands and underneath my chair, and I had to bend over in such an embarrassing way – a way that half of my but was in the air, and one of my hands was flat on the ground. Then I heard Naruto, and I think my face spontaneously combusted.

"Hey! Stop checking out my girlfriend's ass!" he said while scowling at Sasuke. I shot right back up into a regular sitting position, eyes wide and forgetting the pencil completely. Sasuke gave a 'what-the-fuck?' death-glare to Naruto who scowled back. I sat there _very_ embarrassed and confused, my eyes flickering to each of the boys.

"What's an ass?"

All heads turned to see Sarah, standing innocently at the doorway of the library, head cocked to one side.

My eyebrows raised and my hand went to cover my mouth- to stop me from laughing or to stop an 'Oh my god', I'm not quite sure.

"Uhhhh, it's, uhhhhhh…" Naruto was at a same loss of words as I was.

"Nothing. And don't say it anymore." That was Sasuke, who looked at Sarah, then glared at Naruto.

Then Naruto suddenly spoke up, "It's a donkey!" That earned another glare from Sasuke. And a tiny giggle from me.

"Okay!" And Sarah skipped from the room. Sasuke went back to drawing the hand silently, and Naruto went back to eating his ramen. Again, I was left sitting there, until Sarah came running back in.

"Look! I got an ass! See!" she held out a donkey figurine, grinning proudly. My eyes widened and Sasuke sent a slightly exasperated, though still stoic look towards Sarah, who started dancing around the table singing Mary had a little lamb, except replacing 'lamb' with 'ass'. Naruto burst out laughing and I covered my mouth again, to stop my own giggles.

"Sarah," Sasuke started warningly, still sitting in his chair. Sarah kept on circling, this time making the donkey dance as well. "Sarah," he said again, but she kept ignoring him. "Sarah, stop it. Now." If I were Sarah, I would have probably run from the library and pray to god that he wouldn't come after me, because the look on his face and the twitch in his jaw muscles screamed 'Angry!'

I decided to try and intervene, maybe get on Sasuke's good side for once.

"Sarah," I asked a little quietly.

"Yeeesss!?" she continued to dance and sing, but at least she acknowledged me.

"Come here, I want to tell you a secret," and I motioned with my pointer finger for her to come. Sarah immediately stopped and stared with awe-filled eyes.

"Is it secret spy business?" she asked in almost a whisper.

"Uh, yeah" I answered, sort of winging it. Sarah came over in a tip-toe, then stood straight and saluted to me.

"Agent Superfantabulous, reporting for duty," she said still whispering.

"Okay, here is the secret," also whispering. I leaned over to her, to make it look like it was important, though I was very wary of Sasuke's passive stare and Naruto's amused look. "That word you were singing, we don't ever want to say that. Do you know why?" Sarah shook her head furiously while I though of what to say next. "That is the code word for the evil spy team. And if they hear it, they will attack."

"Oh no! I didn't mean to! I'm sorry!" though still whispering, Sarah's voice was filled with anxiety.

"It's okay, I don't think they heard you. But remember, don't say it." I replied, and leaned back sat back normally again.

"Don't say it." Sarah confirmed, than ran for the library exit. She stopped at the door though, and turned around to salute to me, before running off again, taking her donkey too.

When she left, Naruto burst out laughing again, and I felt really self-conscious. Sasuke glanced at me, and then continued working. It wasn't a glare, so I think I'm making progress.

And I can't even describe how happy that made me feel.

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I had completely forgotten that Naruto and I had a date after Sasuke's. Luckily, he had reminded me before we left so I didn't look like idiot.

He took me out to dinner at a small pizza place, and I have to say, I did enjoy it (+1). There wasn't much kissing (+1) so I think that the only reason he does it so much at school is to show off or something. Anyway, after pizza, he took me for ice cream but ended up not having enough with him to pay for it, so I had to (-1). We then walked to a nearby park with our ice cream just talking about random things (+1), but a lot of jokes he made, I didn't really get (-1). But then, while we were still in the car just before I got out to my house he gave me a sort of 'goodbye kiss. And it was a _good_ type of kiss. Different from the ones at school, and very sweet (+2). But then his hand moved to my thigh at one point, and though it gave me shivers, it was still a little wrong/ fast/ not what I was comfortable with (-1). We set up another date for sometime on the weekend and I ran into my house after saying goodbye. So the date wasn't that great. If I added up my scores, it got a +2. Which I guess is okay. But I also found myself _not_ running to my room and squealing on my bed. And I'm not sure if that's good or not.

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I haven't seen my mom in three days. I had gone straight to sleep when I returned from my date on Tuesday, but vaguely I remember as I walked up the stairs to my room, I had seen my dad in his bedroom – not the couch. The next morning she wasn't in the house, and I assumed she had an early morning meeting and had to leave early. But when I got back from school, she wasn't there. My dad and I had a quiet dinner by ourselves that night, and even later on in the evening, we hadn't heard from her. The next morning she still wasn't there and that's when I started to get really worried. I didn't dare ask my dad where she was – he's depressed enough already. He still acts like his usual self when I'm there, but when ever he thinks I'm not looking, he drops the act.

My mom hadn't returned after school or in the evening that day, and I found it very hard to get to sleep. The house was _so_ quiet, and it felt rather empty- Sam seemed a lot happier with the stress level tuned down to almost zero. The next day I finally told Ino about my mom disappearing, and she sympathized with me and since it was a Friday, I stayed over at her place for the night.

It was the morning when I finally saw her. I drove home from Ino's and my mom's car was in the driveway. She had greeted me warmly with a smile, a hug, and an 'Oh honey, I missed you.' I didn't smile back, instead, my brow furrowed and I asked her, "Where were you?" I was genuinely concerned with her whereabouts even though I'm not as close to her as I am with my dad. She shrugged it off and said, "I brought you something, come see what it is." She led me into the living room where she had a suitcase opened. I was confused and a little bit scared. If she had a suitcase then that meant she had planned to leave for a couple of days. But why didn't she tell me where she went?

I tried to sound happy when she showed me the gift, but I still was really concerned. It was a faded green skirt that went down to the knees. It was made out of a light material, so it almost looked like a beach wrap. She wanted me to try it on, so I did. When I came back to show her, she gushed on how it matched my eyes perfectly and how I looked so gorgeous. Though I liked the skirt, I didn't gush with her, I was still concerned.

"Where did you get it?" I asked her.

"This designing company that had just opened, one of my friends is the owner and head designer. The company let me bring home some samples for you." She answered. She avoided my question; she told me how she got it, but not where.

"Oh." I replied, "But _where_ did you get it?"

"How about I take you out to lunch? You can wear the skirt." Still avoiding my question.

"Um, Hinata and I were going to do something today," I lied – why was she being like this? _Where_ did she go?

"That's fine darling, we'll schedule another time, how about that?" my mom said, closing her suitcase.

"Um, okay." I answered, and she lugged the suitcase up the stairs to her room.

"Mom," I started, when she was half way up the stairs, "I missed you." I tried to look innocent and sad; maybe she would feel guilty and tell me.

"I missed you too darling," And she continued up the stairs. Dang it. Usually the innocent thing works.

The moment I heard her bedroom door close, I ran up to my room, took off the skirt and threw it into my closet, frustrated that she was acting so weird. I sat on my bed huffing with no pants on and Samuel on my lap. If I were Sarah, I'd call my mom a stupid-head.

Naruto took me out on a date on Sunday. We didn't do much though. He had gotten us ice cream and we walked around a bit. We didn't kiss as much, because I found different ways to inconspicuously avoid it though. Overall, it was a pretty boring Sunday.

That night, I contemplated my parents' relationship. First, I think all the arguing and fighting is started by my mom- she seems to be the one that has a problem with their marriage. Second, I think they only stay together because of me. I think that they will wait until I graduate, then they will divorce. Third, if they were to divorce sometime before I graduate, then I would probably stay with my dad. I'm a lot closer to him. And my mom doesn't like Samuel that much so he would stay with my dad (and I can't leave my Sammy).

After thinking about all of this I couldn't get to sleep, even with Samuel's comforting purrs. So I quietly went on the computer and played mindless online games. It was 3:30 am when I finally felt the effects of sleep come over me. I shut of the computer, and went to bed with my ipod playing, Sam curled up at my feet.

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I really shouldn't have stayed up so late. I ended up falling asleep in Math and getting a half hour detention after school, and a couple blows to my self-esteem from all the people around me. I told Naruto that he and Sasuke could go ahead to his house and I'd arrive once I got through my detention. They agreed and Naruto gave me Sasuke's address because I didn't know the exact street and number.

It took me a while to find Sasuke's house. The concierge guy at the gate apparently knew of my arrival and let me in without any trouble (I _was_ a little nervous about that part) but a lot of the homes and streets in his community kind of look the same. I ended up stopping some random person who was walking by and asked where the Carter household was. He was surprised that I even asked – the Carter family was the most popular out of the community, even if they just recently moved in. I finally got the directions and made it to Sasuke's house, where the butler dude let me in.

I met Mr. Carter for the first time when I entered- he recognized me from Sarah's description of my pink hair, I recognized him from the drawing in Sasuke's sketchbook. Mr. Carter was very handsome, and there was no doubt that he was Sarah's father. He had short curly blonde hair, blue eyes and tanned skin. I think that if you put all of the Carter family together (subtract Sasuke), they would look like the perfect American family.

Mr. Carter and I briefly talked, mostly about how much Sarah enjoyed me babysitting her and how I would love to babysit her again. I also figured out that Mrs. Carter works in the same building as my dad, and that's how I came to babysit Sarah in the first place. Apparently Mr. Carter owns a large car dealership, which explains Sasuke's Maserati Diablo.

Before Mr. Carter and I parted, I asked where Sasuke and Naruto were, and he said they were probably in Sasuke's room. I very much wanted to see Sasuke's room, though I didn't tell Mr. Carter that. He gave me the directions and I took them:

Up the left staircase in the front hall, turn left and down the hall to the very end. Up the staircase to the right (not the left), to the middle of the hallway where there will be a large window that looks over the back yard. The staircase beside it leads to a landing where there are 2 double doors on the left and right walls, and a couple of steps straight ahead that lead to a single door. The single door is Sasuke's room.

Holy shit, thank goodness I didn't get lost. I knew the house was big, but not _that_ big. I'm guessing a lot of the house consisted of guest rooms because there were too many halls and doors to count. Some of the doors were open and I could see what was inside as I passed. A couple of doors contained art rooms and music rooms, and I desperately wanted to look through them, but I had to keep going while I still had the directions to Sasuke's room in my head. And when I passed the window that overlooked the backyard, I couldn't believe my eyes. He had a hot tub three times as big as mine, a huge pool and patio, an outdoor bar, a field with a soccer net, a small basketball court, and trampoline. I was surprised they didn't have a horse stable or something. I also felt really weird walking through the house alone because it was so big and I seemed so _small_.

Anyways, I finally got to Sasuke's room, where the door was closed. There were noises coming from inside (most sounding like Naruto) so I knocked twice and entered.

Sasuke's room was huge though simple, and it even smelled like Sasuke (not that I actually know his scent, but the slight whiff of cologne, aftershave, and the very fresh sort of smell – like it had just rained – seemed to suit him perfectly). The walls and carpet were navy blue and the ceiling and trim were white. He had a ladder that led to a loft which stretched all the way across the back wall. The loft was guarded by a railing at the edges, and held a bunch of blankets, pillows and mattresses which I assumed to be his bed. Above the loft, on the ceiling, was a sky light that looked accessible. It was probably used for sneaking out or something, because I think I saw a shoeprint near the window- on the ceiling. Plus, it looked that if you stood on the railing, you'd be tall enough to reach it.

On the right side of the room, near the wall that had the door I just entered from, was a white desk with a computer. Opposite to it on the other side of the room was a bookshelf, and on the left wall was an open door that led to a closet and probably a bathroom. Beneath the loft was a large TV, a black leather couch, 2 bean bags, and a couple of game systems.

The colours of basically everything else in the room were white, black, or navy blue – a little boring, but sophisticated. I also noticed that in some places, there was a red and white fan. Like there was one on the wall, and I think there was one sewn into some of his pillows and comforters, but it was to far away to see for sure.

Currently, Sasuke and Naruto were playing a Star Wars game for Xbox (shouldn't they be working?). Sasuke was slouched on the couch holding the controller lazily, face passive. Naruto was on one of the beanbags, his tongue occasionally sticking out, face contorted in concentration and letting out obscenities or "Come on! SHOOT HIM! DIE DIE DIE!' every few seconds while he jammed his fingers over the controller. I'm guessing Sasuke was winning then.

"Um, hi," I said after entering fully and closing the door behind me. I was acknowledged by Sasuke with a flicker of his eyes to me then back to the TV. He said nothing.

"Hey… Sakura!" Naruto yelled, still caught up in the game. His sentences were fragmented – he would speak and then focus on the game, then speak again – sometimes words would be louder than others and sometimes held longer than others. It _was_ kind of funny. So when he invited me to sit down in the other beanbag (which was near Sasuke's feet- I will be so close to him!) it sounded something like this: WHY… don't… yoooouuuu…come… SIT OVER HERE… on… the other… beeeeeaaaaaaannn… BAG!

Trying not to distract them, I half- tiptoed to the other bean bag and sat down- right in front of Sasuke. The bean bag was so squishy, I felt like I was sinking in it. It took me a while and a couple of awkward positions to actually find a comfortable spot, and I blushed – feeling like a loser while doing it. After getting comfortable, I finally realized HOW close I was to Sasuke- my head was almost touching his shins!

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Sasuke's POV

Sasuke was just about to beat Naruto when Sakura sat down in front of him, distracting him. It wasn't that she was blocking the TV or that she was moving around, probably trying to get comfortable – it was her hair brushing against his shins and her arms lightly touching, not even purposefully, his legs. He looked down to see _exactly_ where she was situated.

In between his legs.

It wasn't intentional – before Sakura came his legs were already on either side of the beanbag, too lazy to move it. And Sakura had sat down probably oblivious to that fact. And Sasuke knowing that fact found it hard to concentrate.

So now he was closer to winning than Naruto, but struggling – because every time she moved, her hair or arms would brush against his short clad legs, touching the exposed bare skin.

And it made him twitch.

Every damn time.

And he didn't even know why he was twitching. He had had plenty of girls in that region before, and neither of them made him do this. Maybe it was because she was off limits and presented a challenge. Or maybe it was the fact that she was so much more innocent compared to all the other girls that had encountered him.

Anyways, she was _really_ distracting him. Very much so. It was like the many times when they were in the art room or cafeteria and all he could hear was her voice, no matter how much other people were talking. And Sasuke couldn't find a word to describe _why_ it happened – the hearing her voice and making him twitch – so he just settled for calling it 'annoying'.

"Um, shouldn't we be working?" asked Sakura, to no one in particular. Naruto didn't hear her or he was too occupied, because he didn't answer.

"Finished." Sasuke replied, not knowing exactly why he answered her.

"The three drawings? They're all, um, done?" She asked, confusion present in her voice.

"Desk." He answered shortly over Naruto's grunting. Sasuke had finished the rest of the drawing by himself out of sheer boredom after Sakura and Naruto left that Tuesday. It was also an excuse to get Sarah to leave him alone – using the 'I'm doing homework. Don't disturb me' excuse.

"Oh… okay." Sakura said, and got up to walk awkwardly, from sliding around in the bean bag, over to the desk. Sasuke used this time to gain control of the game and actually, finally, win. But it was once again hard to, because he heard her gasps and "Oh wow's" as she looked at his drawings. Sasuke suppressed a smirk – she almost sounded like Sarah when she discovered something new.

_Typical, _he thought- it wasn't the first time someone fawned over his work.

But then Sakura started giggling. It was only when she murmured 'chicken-butt' to herself and then said slightly louder, "Sarah's pretty good at drawing for a six-year old," that he realized why she was giggling. Sarah had probably put her drawings of himself and the chicken with his project. "The nose is a little big though, and the hair a little too spiky." She continued talking – making remarks on the relation between the picture of Sasuke and Sasuke himself. And it was still making it hard to concentrate. He couldn't even tune her out. It was like there was a headphone's jack plugged into her, and the speakers were in his ears.

She finally stopped talking and Sasuke could concentrate, though there was a little nagging feeling in the back of his mind that was asking 'what is she doing now?' Luckily, that nagging thing wasn't enough to overtake his concentration, and he beat Naruto easily within minutes of when the distractions stopped.

"Aw! Fuck! I was SO close!" Naruto yelled, moving to a sitting position. "So close!" He continued and let his head loll back to where he saw Sakura, who was still looking around the desk. "Hey, Sakura! You wanna play?"

Sasuke grimaced slightly, but didn't say anything. Sakura answered with an "Um, I don't know."

"Come on! It will be fun! Sit back down in the bean bag! Sasuke – give your controller to Sakura!" Naruto yelled again, getting more enthusiastic. Sasuke narrowed his eyes at Naruto and reluctantly extended the arm with the controller towards Sakura.

"Um, Okay." Sakura replied and nervously took the remote from Sasuke. "But I don't have Star Wars for my Xbox, and I've never played it before," she said and sat back down into the bean bag.

"What games do you have?" asked Naruto.

"Um, Dance Dance Revolution?" she answered, and blushed slightly.

Naruto made a face before saying, "Stupid. This is much more fun. Now," he continued, showing her his controller, "The A button is to jump, R to shoot, circle to crouch and square as an action. It's really easy."

"Um, okay…" To Sasuke, Sakura still didn't seem to get the controls as quickly as Naruto explained them. It bothered him how he was concerned about whether or not she knew how to play.

"Great! Let's start!" Naruto picked a battlefront and walked Sakura through the beginning until the battle actually started, where he was too concentrated for his own player to remember to help Sakura.

Sakura seemed hopeless. Within seconds of the battle starting, she had already died twice. And when she wasn't busy getting shot, she was still trying to figure out the controls.

Sasuke watched in some amusement at how pathetic she played, and even though the accidental brushes she made against his skin made him twitch, he wasn't playing, so he didn't mind it as much. Sakura still didn't notice these accidental touches, she was to busy trying to figure out how not to die. After the ninth time that she died, Sasuke decided to intervene.

An opponent was shooting at Sakura at the moment and she couldn't figure out how to shoot back. That was when Sasuke bent down, so he was practically leaning over her, his head almost on her shoulder, right beside her cheek. He put his right hand over her right hand, and pressing down the R button so she could shoot back. Sakura became extremely red and stuttered thank you's and okay's. Sasuke found this fairly amusing, so he stayed like that until the enemy died. Then, with his head still close to hers, "Press the R button to shoot. You'll die if you don't." Sakura became even more flustered and started rambling, losing focus of the game. This amused Sasuke even more, and he wondered how many times he could make her flustered and nervous. He _enjoyed_ seeing her flustered and nervous.

So for the next 45 minutes, Sakura and Naruto played Star Wars, and Sasuke tried to make Sakura flustered. Every attempt he made, he exceeded, which pushed him more, wanting to see _how_ flustered she could get. How _far _he could get until she or Naruto said something.

So the instances continued, like when Sasuke leaned over again, this time putting his left hand over her left and pressing down on the L button. Then he said in her ear, "The L button switches weapons. This one is more effective against your opponent." And instead of sitting back up normally, he made his hand lazily drag up her arm as he sat back. She became, once again, highly flustered and nervous, and started rambling on about random things until she calmed down. He also felt her shiver, and he smirked at that, somehow reveling in it. And this happened many, _many_ more times. It was a little disappointing though because Naruto didn't get pissed or annoyed; he was too focused on the game to notice.

After another hour of videogame playing and flustering Sakura, Mrs. Carter knocked on the door and entered. After greeting them all, she stated that dinner would be ready in 15 minutes, and offered for Naruto and Sakura to stay as well. Sakura declined, saying she should get home for dinner, but Naruto accepted (because he always did).

Sasuke decided to make Sakura flustered one more time before she left, and that was when she was walking out the door. He had intentionally stared at her as she walked by, and when he got her attention, he smirked and tilted his head slightly to one side. She blushed madly and rambled some 'goodbyes' before rushing out. Naruto didn't even have time to give her a kiss, something Sasuke was unknowingly relieved about.

He and Naruto decided to watch TV until someone came to tell them it was time for dinner. And while Naruto was channel surfing, Sasuke realized two things.

ONE: He _liked_ it when Sakura got flustered. He decided that every time they saw each other, or had to get together for the project, he would somehow make her flustered.

TWO: He hadn't once referred to Sakura as 'paper towel girl' the whole time she was there.

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Sakura POV

What the frig happened there?! I thought it would be a work hour or something! Not a 'what-the-hell-is-Sasuke-doing-to-me?' hour. I mean, could he _get_ any closer?!

First, we weren't even working, Second, I was in Sasuke's room, and third, what was that _stuff_ he was doing? Is he trying to make me, like, permanently embarrassed? Jeez! And even though I was all 'wtf' at what happened today, it was a disappointment when we agreed that we didn't need to get together on Sunday to work because we had all the drawings done. Though I was kind of relieved that I could miss a chance at embarrassing myself, I was a little sad that I wasn't going.

But you know what was the coolest thing ever? Okay, well when Sasuke reached over to press the buttons for me (what brought him to do _that_?!) I noticed that on the inside of his wrist, there was a black tattoo. It depicted three sixes, all with their bottoms facing towards the centre of the tattoo. Then when he did it again, except with the other hand, I noticed he had the exact same tattoo in the same place, just on the other wrist! This discovery made me randomly excited, and the next day, I definitely decided to ask Naruto about it in instrumental.

According to Naruto, those aren't the only tattoos Sasuke has – there are a total of three on his body. According to Naruto, the first one is where his left shoulder meets his neck, and it's basically the same to the ones on his wrist, except it has a circle thing that kind of looks like a sun around it. The second one, according to Naruto, is on his shoulder blades- an outline of a hand on each one. And, according to Naruto, the third one is on his lower back, and it's of the red fan that was also in his room. According to Naruto, the fan is the symbol of his last name, but he didn't tell me any more than that, though I believe he could have.

And when I said, 'that's so cool!' when referring to Sasuke's tattoos, Naruto exclaimed that he also had one- it was on his stomach. And then he showed it to me as we were leaving instrumental. Might I say that Naruto has a _really,_ REALLY toned stomach? I had to bite my lip to keep from drooling! And the tattoo was really, really cool too – it was a spiral with a kind of circle-type-sun thing around it. But, if I were him, I wouldn't have gotten it on my stomach, because what happens when you're older and you go out or something? The settlement of it is a little obnoxious – but at least it matches his personality.

When we walked into biology, Sasuke was in his usual seat and we sat next to him as always. Before we sat down, I remembered that though we had completed the drawings for our project, we hadn't come up with a presentation yet. We then decided that we would meet at Sasuke's house on Sunday to finish that part up because the presentation for it was the class after the weekend.

Once that was sorted out, Naruto and I sat down and got settled. But this time, I was seated in between them. Naruto on my right, and Sasuke on my left. And it was _really_ awkward.

Especially half-way through the class, when I noticed that Sasuke didn't have a high-collared shirt like he usually does. So I kind of pushed my chair back a bit, and leaned a little to the left, hoping to maybe see his left shoulder, and to maybe get a glimpse of his tattoo. But then Sasuke caught me, and turned to look at me. I froze; my face _very _close to his. And then he leaned the tiniest bit forward towards me, and I blushed furiously, trying not to start rambling so I wouldn't catch the attention of the rest of the class. He leaned even further towards me, and I was like a statue – not even blinking.

"You should pay attention." He whispered in a low voice (though it was still passive). And it took every ounce of my self control to not close the tiny space between us and jump him. Except really, I would never do that, no matter how badly I wish I could.

In the blink of an eye, he was back in his original position- and if I hadn't known better, I would've thought that I had day-dreamed the whole thing. It then occurred to me that I was still in the very uncomfortable position of leaning to the left. So after straightening myself out, I tried to pay attention to Mr. Kakashi. But I was oh so very distracted by Sasuke. Every one of his movements my eye would catch, and sometimes I found myself unconsciously tuning out the rest of the world and watching him out of the corner of my eye.

And then, as I was finally able to actually work, Sasuke lifted his arm to scratch the spot where his left shoulder meets his neck. It was like he _knew_ that I was trying to see his tattoo. But there was one thing that didn't fit- I didn't see any tattoo.

Maybe it was because I just blinked when it showed momentarily, or maybe it was because it wasn't near the spot he scratched- or MAYBE he just didn't have a tattoo there and Naruto had either mistaken it for something else or it was in the wrong spot.

Either way, I tried to find out. So after waiting a couple of minutes to make sure no one was looking, I slowly leaned to the left again.

But Sasuke's shoulder was out of my line of vision, so I leaned a little bit more to the left.

Nope. Still couldn't see it.

Leaning even further to the left, I stupidly and embarrassingly lost my balance – my chair tilted to one side and I found myself falling. Reaching out with flailing arms, I tried to grab anything to keep me balanced. Unfortunately, that 'anything' was Sasuke's shirt, and it didn't keep me balanced. Instead it pulled his weight to lean on the back of his chair and made him lose his balance as well.

And I found both of us falling.

I hit the ground with a rather painful thump on my back, and Sasuke landed with his head _on my chest._

Yup. He sure did have that tattoo. With my hand still clutching his shirt, it stretched the collar far enough for me to see where his shoulder meets his neck- and the tattoo was definitely there. Mission Accomplished.

Well, sort of.

I was too shocked to move, especially with his head _on my chest_. And after a couple of moments of just laying there in shock, I heard Sasuke say in that same low whisper,

"Well this is comfortable."

My eyes widened to golf balls while he reached behind his head to untangle my hands from his shirt (and his hands were _very_ nice and warm). But as he did that, his hands swept across _certain places_ accidentally (at least I _hope_ it was accidentally), because his head was _on my chest_. Some of the spikes in his hair just happened to brush against my neck as well, and I'm just going to mention that his hair was soooooo soft (I think it's natural), it was hard not pull him back down to run my fingers through it.

Anyways, he slowly stood up after disentangling us and sat back down in his seat as if nothing happened.

But something _did_ happen, because I was on the floor. And I just realized everyone- EVERYONE- was staring at me. I shot up like a bullet into a sitting position, though I was still on the floor, and blushed so hard I think I burnt a layer of skin off.

Naruto, once the situation registered, stood up and helped me to my feet, all the while he was yelling at Sasuke on how he was such a clumsy idiot – though truthfully it really was the opposite and I was the clumsy one.

After that whole ordeal passed and the class had stopped laughing at me, Mr. Kakashi resumed his teaching, though he seemed to be smiling secretively at something. I kept my head down with my hair covering my face as it was still unbelievably red and I was still unbelievably embarrassed.

But remember how each of Sasuke's movements caught my eye? Well, I definitely caught him smirking while quickly glancing in my direction. That only boosted the embarrassment meter up twelve hundred steps.

I avoided talking to anyone as I escaped from class when the period ended. I walked quickly and directly towards my locker to grab my things and skedaddle. But Naruto caught me and gave me a quick 'goodbye' peck before I ran off to my car.

When I got home, I noticed that the phone had a message waiting. When I checked it, the caller turned out to be Mrs. Carter asking if I could babysit Sarah on Saturday. Even though I didn't need the money, I called back and confirmed that I could babysit. Mrs. Carter thanked me and also said that I would be babysitting at their house this time. Sometimes I wonder why I am to babysit Sarah when they have all those maids and butlers and people. Oh well.

I found myself searching the computer on Google Images for pictures that would be good for a tattoo – if I were to get one (which I probably won't). I chose a really pretty picture of a cherry blossom and decided that if I were to get it, it would be on my back near my left shoulder. But I also found myself searching the other designs that Sasuke had for his tattoos. Some of the history behind them was kind of disturbing, though some things I found interesting. For example, the hands that were apparently on his shoulder blades stood for 'Flapping One Thousand Birds', which was a symbol for protecting comrades- but could also be used for severing those ties to the comrades. I wonder why Sasuke chose that one.

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A couple of days later in art class, Ms. Lunids assigned us our 'super project' which is a smaller version of a culminating activity before Christmas break (even though it's only nearing the end of October). This time it was an actual _normal_ project, which I am thankful for. Basically, we have to paint picture of something significant to us. It sounds pretty easy, but I'm not the greatest artist when it comes to painting people, so I decided to pick someone easy to do – Samuel. I mean, he's important to me, and a lot easier to draw than a person. I looked over to see who Hinata decided to do, and she's doing her cousin, Neji. Apparently, not long after I talked with him that one morning with Naruto, he and Tenten decided to become an item. I don't really know them that well, but they look like a pretty cute couple to me.

I also got a peek at who Sasuke decided to do while I was inconspicuously walking by – his sister, Sarah. I'm surprised because before he kind of wanted to keep her secret, but now he is doing a whole painting of her. And I saw the picture he was thinking of using and it's _so_ adorable! She has one of her innocent and angelic smiles on her face, and she's holding a stuffed dog; I hope she acts the way she looks in the picture when I babysit her on Saturday.

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Unfortunately, Sarah didn't want to act innocent and angelic when I was babysitting her. Since we were at her place this time, she thought she could do anything.

So after Mr. and Mrs. Carter left (I don't know where Sasuke was), we decided to play dress-up because she had a 'superfantabulous' idea.

But the idea wasn't even close to being 'superfantabulous'.

At the beginning she behaved though. She had shown me her room- which is every six year old child's dream. Huge, sparkly, and toy- filled, Sarah's room looked like it popped out from a fairytale book. And her bed was even modeled into a horse drawn carriage, while the rest of the furniture consisted of pieces that looked like miniature castles and trees. The walls were even painted to look like a 3D fairytale- so the theme to our dress-up game was 'Fairytales'.

Sarah had decided that she was going to wear some of her mom's _very_ expensive and _very _valuable clip-on earrings when playing dress-up. And she told me that they were, in fact, very expensive and valuable just before she ran away yelling, "Hide and go Seek! Hide and go Seek!"

So I had to search the whole entire freaking mansion to find her. And I barely even know how to get to Sasuke's room again, how does she expect me to find her in such a humungous house?

By using the maids and butlers of course.

After searching for a couple of minutes, I decided to ask the house's staff where Sarah went. And guess where they pointed me? To Sasuke's room.

It took me a long time to finally find his room again, and when I got there, it took me just as much time to find her.

Sarah had hidden herself in all the many blankets, pillows, and mattresses of Sasuke's bed in the loft. Not only did she make me climb up there (which I didn't mind so much), but she made me catch her while she scampered and reburied herself amongst the bed.

When I finally caught her, I noticed something _very_ wrong. Sarah was only wearing one earring.

Meaning the other _very_ expensive and _very_ valuable earring was lost amidst the blankets.

It took us 1 whole friggin hour to find the stupid earring, and just as we finally found it, guess who walked in?

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Sasuke's POV

Sasuke decided to leave the party he was at early, because there was no alcohol at all, and his stupid fangirls were all over him. Plus Karin was being a fucking idiot trying to get him alone in a guest room all not. Not happening. Especially since he was sober. The only problem was that because he left the party early, he would be home early, meaning he would have to babysit Sarah (though it would give him another chance to make Sakura flustered…).

He entered his house to hear nothing but the obvious sounds of the house's staff working, though he should be hearing one of Sarah's ridiculous songs and Sakura's voice.

After doing a quick sweep through the house, he heard noises coming from up stairs.

From his room.

Sasuke should have predicted that at some point in time, Sarah would end up in his room, which he didn't mind so much – but what peeved him was the fact that it wasn't just Sarah in his room, but Sakura too. Alone.

He opened the door to a position he didn't expect to see the two girls in.

Sarah was fast asleep on the couch below the loft, while in the loft was Sakura- half covered in his blankets and pillows.

Once Sakura realized that Sasuke had walked in, she awkwardly froze in place- half buried, half crawling. And stayed like that for another thirty seconds.

Sasuke just scowled, walked towards Sarah, and picked her up to carry her to her own room. When he returned, Sasuke found Sakura, not in the loft, but standing on the ground near the latter, holding one of Marie's earrings. One of her _very_ expensive _very_ valuable earrings.

But Sasuke didn't even have to ask why she was in his room, in his loft, holding his adoptive mother's earring – because the moment he opened his mouth, Sakura blurted out the whole story.

And Sasuke managed, after the over-blown ramblings of Sakura, to make her flustered too – he walked towards her, keeping his intense gaze on her face, and continued to stare at her even when he was towering over her.

With his body _very_ close to hers, he bent down to say in that voice he always does around her – the one that is a partial whisper and very low,

"I think it's time you go now."

And he took Sakura's hand, making her face turn tomato red. He then opened the fist that held the earring and switched the jewelry for the money she earned that night. He also made sure to make his fingers linger a little longer than usual, to make the effect work that much more on her.

It was quite humorous - Sakura was like a metal detector, where Sasuke was the metal. Every time he came really close to her, she would turn read and start rambling really fast. And when he moved back a little, her face would redden less and her rambling wouldn't come as quickly.

"Tomorrow." He said, before backing away and _sauntered_ towards his bathroom/ closet. Also, in the process of walking there, he started to pull of his shirt as if to get ready for bed. He then made sure that his shirt was fully off, and that Sakura had a glimpse of his bare back (tattoos and all) before he threw it to the side and closed the bathroom/closet door.

Sasuke turned on the shower and waited until he heard Sakura leave, before undressing and getting in. But it took her a _long_ time to leave – almost 5 minutes. She was probably still standing in his room staring at where his form used to be and trying to recall what image she still had of his bare torso.

Which was exactly the reaction he wanted.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 17

**Chapter 7**

Sakura's POV

Halloween is on Tuesday! I'm so excited! Though I am a little worried that it will rain that day, because the sky has been overcast lately.

What I am not excited for is Sasuke's today.

Well, that's not entirely true.

Actually it's not true at all- I'm kind of looking forward to it…

But is it his new life goal to make me embarrassed all the time? I mean, I don't think there hasn't been a day where Sasuke didn't make me blush. Especially last night, when he just had to get so close and give me the money in that really hot way. He doesn't _have_ to do it – it's getting annoying!

Actually that was a lie too…

I kind of… like it. But only a little…

Anyways, we had planned to get together early, at like, 11 am, so we could get the presentation over and done with. It probably won't take long though; I mean how hard is it to make up a presentation about hands?

Actually, now that I said that, it might take longer than it should; considering Naruto being kind of stupid, and Sasuke, well, being Sasuke.

So it was almost 11 when I drove up to the Carter's house (might I mention there were mysterious ticking noises in my car as I drove there). I guess the guy at the gate of the community now recognizes me- I was let in easily.

I walked up to the front door, where a butler or some sort of house staff let me in- but when I got inside, no one was there.

Well the occasional house staff would walk by, but Sasuke, nor any of the Carters were anywhere in sight. And I didn't really know what to do (should I wait? Should I ask? Should I look for them?), so I sat down on the bench in the front hall (though the front hall was so big you could probably call it a lobby).

So I waited there, feeling a little awkward.

Until Sasuke entered the 'lobby'. I think I felt my jaw drop all the way to the floor.

Sasuke was wearing dangerously low, flannel, plaid, pajama pants, _and nothing on top _(tattoos, abs and all)_._ A toothbrush was sticking out of his mouth as if he was in the middle of brushing his teeth, and he held a piece of toast lazily in one hand. He also had what Ino likes to call 'sex hair' meaning that it looked fairly normal, but quite disheveled (according to Ino it's as if they just had sex… in case you didn't catch that). I'm assuming he just woke up, because he had a slightly tired expression, and the toothbrush and pj's were a dead giveaway. I'm also assuming he just came out of the kitchen – hence the toast.

As he walked through the 'lobby', he used his free hand to tiredly scratch his chest, and in the middle of doing that was when he noticed another presence in the room.

Which was me.

His hand halted as well as his body, for like, two seconds, when he saw me- then continued scratching as he raised an eyebrow and continued his journey to and up the stairs – probably back to his room.

Overall, it was the _hottest_ thing I have _ever_ seen in my life.

And I'm pretty sure I hyperventilated after he was fully out of sight, because I definitely had to put my head in between my legs to keep myself breathing normally.

And that was when Naruto came in the front door. Not even noticing that I was having a spaz attack, he flopped down beside me with an arm around the back of the bench and a lazy smile as he said, "Hey Sakura!"

My head popped up and I resumed a normal sitting position as my face turned red (though not as red as it had been when I saw Sasuke- just the reminder of that made me blush harder).

"Hi!" My voice came out slightly strangled.

"So," He looked around, "what are you waiting here for?"

"Um, Sasuke-" I had to stop and clear my throat- my voice was still strangled, "I don't think Sasuke is… Um, I don't think he's, er, ready yet…"

"That's cool, we can just chill until he comes down." And then suddenly his face was _very_ close to mine. "Why are you so red?"

"Um, well….It's nothing." I said, and waved a hand as if to brush it off. But Naruto persisted.

"Are you sure?" He poked my cheek, "'Cause you are _really _red."

"Heh, heh…" I could only let out a very squeaky half-giggle.

"But you know what?" He said, bringing the hand that had poked me to the side of my face, then letting it slide to the back of my neck, "I think it's pretty cute." And then he gave me this really adorable smile – but it was almost sickening – not because of the butterflies in my stomach, but because I think I saw him as almost a brother for a second there.

And it became worse because he started kissing me. And though I responded, the whole time I was having some sort of revelation.

It kept on occurring to me that I saw Naruto as a brother-like figure – not a boyfriend – as we were kissing. Because, looking back, everything we did was really cheesy, and the way we reacted to each other was very childish when I wasn't pretending to like what he was doing. But then I thought, no – this couldn't be happening, because I had finally gotten to go out with my crush.

So I tried kissing back, hoping to pass the sickening feeling as me just being stupid. And I tried putting some enthusiasm into the kiss – which I'm sure Naruto enjoyed – but it just didn't feel _right._

When I heard footsteps, I turned my head to see Sasuke dressed in clean clothes coming down the stairs, but Naruto – because he lost access to my mouth, decided to kiss along my jaw and neck. Which was very uncomfortable, because Sasuke walked passed us, back into the kitchen, all the while with his eyes on us, giving me speculative looks.

"Naruto-" I started as I turned around – but I was cut off by his lips on mine again. Apparently Naruto had gotten very enthusiastic, and I even heard him whisper in between contact, "Forget the bastard."

But how could I forget him when he just walked back into the lobby?

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Sasuke's POV

They were practically _eating each other's faces off._ Well, Sakura wasn't doing anything – she actually looked like she was trying to escape. It was Naruto that was _all over her_.

Sakura was probably having the experience of being kissed by a dog.

Sasuke had walked out of the kitchen for the second time that morning, this time with a large bowl of cheerios. And now the cheerios didn't look as appetizing as they did before. He didn't know _why_ Naruto and Sakura making out was bothering him – it just _was_.

But then he realized this would be a perfect time to embarrass Sakura, so it was okay again.

"If you two are finished, I'd like to get this presentation done." Sasuke said, walking into the library. He turned his head slightly to glance behind him – just in time to see Sakura jump up, face read. Naruto had lost his balance and almost fell over.

After entering the library, Sasuke sat down in one of the chairs, and started to eat his cheerios. Sakura came in soon after, seemingly eager to get away from Naruto, and set out her paper and pencils. Naruto came in not long after, with a huge grin across his face.

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It didn't take them long to come up with a presentation, though it was probably frustrating for Sakura, though amusing for Sasuke.

Even though it was obvious that Naruto had no idea what he was talking about, he insisted that he new what his part was and would 'have it down pat by tomorrow'. But there were over a thousand different reasons to doubt Naruto's claim – most of them about Naruto being stupid.

Sasuke had completed his part easily, with no problems. Though he did notice a certain person having trouble with her own. And Sasuke knew that Sakura was capable of coming up with an acceptable part for the presentation, it was just that she seemed distracted.

He first noticed this when he felt her staring at him- but when he looked up, she would look away, blushing madly. Then he realized that she wasn't necessarily staring at him – but the spoon in his hand.

Every time Sasuke lifted up his spoon, Sakura's eyes would follow, and when he put the spoon in his mouth, Sakura seemed to not only continue to stare, but unconsciously lick her lips as well.

It was as if Sakura was setting up all these embarrassing moments for herself just so Sasuke could make her flustered – because there hasn't been one time they've gotten together where Sasuke hadn't somehow embarrassed her.

But Sakura wouldn't do that. She was _different_ from the other fangirls that would usually cling to Sasuke. And, though he would hate to admit it, it was little bit of a relief.

Especially because she was one of the easiest people to embarrass. Like when Sasuke purposely made it visible that he knew Sakura was watching him. He had slowly, maybe seductively, brought the full spoon to his mouth and locked eyes with Sakura as he took a bite. Yes, it was a strange action, but it got the expected effect nonetheless.

Sakura had looked completely shocked, then really embarrassed as her face became an astounding shade of red, and she started rambling "um's" and "I'm sorry's". Sasuke had done nothing after that – he just pretended like it never happened (though secretly enjoying the girl's discomfort).

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Sakura's POV

Our science presentation had been a complete disaster on Monday – courtesy of Naruto.

He definitely didn't know what he was saying and completely blanked – so I had to fill in for him. And since I didn't know his part very well, I had to wing it.

Though Sasuke did offer smaller details or examples where I failed to mention them, the presentation still sucked. Big time.

But I did notice, after the presentation when we were handing in the drawings, that Mr. Kakashi had a tattoo, and it was the same three sixes in a circle that Sasuke had, though there was only one and only on his left wrist. I thought that was pretty strange, but I was too nervous and shy to actually ask anyone about it (especially Mr. Kakashi and Sasuke).

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Sasuke's POV

_...what?_

It was the same, though somehow different. He was in his house, but at the front door, and it seemed as though he didn't live there anymore. Sasuke looked down to see himself in a suit – which was slightly odd considering he only wore suits if he was forced into one of Marie's work functions. What was even odder though was that Sarah was standing in front of him, except she looked to be in her early teens. But what made the situation the oddest was the fact that he was holding a baby that looked just like him and…

A diaper bag.

"He just fell asleep after a huge tantrum – if he wakes up, just feed him a bottle." Sasuke said, the words naturally rolling out of his mouth, handing the bundle in his arms over to Sarah who nodded and started quietly gushing about the baby she held. "We'll be back at midnight." He continued, and Sarah nodded again, eyes locked on the baby in her arms.

He then walked outside to his car after closing the door behind him. But his car wasn't a Maserati Diablo; it was a black Bugatti Veyron. He got into his _very_ expensive car and let out a large sigh.

"Is he still sleeping?" said a voice beside him. Sasuke turned to see… Sakura _(what?)_ in the passenger's seat looking very… _luscious _(Sakura? _Luscious?_) in a red dress.

_She's so different_.

He nodded in reply and started the engine. "Whew," Sakura continued, "That was one _hell_ of a tantrum."

_And yet… the same?_

Sasuke nodded, but then did something he doesn't usually do – he made a compliment. "You… handled it well." He said, sounding slightly awkward.

Sakura gave a genuine smile, "Thanks, honey," (hold up, _honey?_) and she leaned in for a kiss, which Sasuke willingly replied to. When she pulled away, he put the car in reverse and backed out the driveway.

…And then Sasuke woke up.

He lay there for quite some time in the mass of blankets and pillows that was his bed, contemplating what the _hell_ that dream was about and what could possibly provoke it to happen.

And when he couldn't figure out an answer, he decided to pass it off as nothing.

But it wasn't working. Images of the dream kept on flashing into his mind; fourteen year old Sarah, the baby in his arms, the diaper bag, his Bugatti Veyron, Sakura, _kissing_ Sakura.

He then realized that it would be futile to try and go back to sleep, at least not with the dream on is mind.

Sighing, he groggily stood up, stretched, and then planted one of his feet onto the railing that bordered the loft. In one quick, fluid movement, he hoisted himself onto that foot, flicked the latch to a portion of the skylight above, pushed it open, and grabbed onto the ledge of the ceiling. He made sure his grip was secure before pulling himself up and onto the roof.

Now outside, he could feel the cool breeze of the night air.

Going through the skylight and onto the roof was something that Sasuke did often – either for sneaking out (because he could easily scale the back of the house) or for the current predicament he was in now, where he couldn't get to sleep.

Because the roof was away from any civilization that could reach him and at this time of night, it was practically silent, it created a place of serenity. Sitting there he could see the ocean in the distance, the highway behind him, and up above, the stars.

Except the stars weren't visible that night. The sky was covered in a vast sheet of gray storm cloud-foreshadowing rain. He could feel it in the humidity, how the moisture in the air clung to his skin though the cool breeze off the waterfront would make him shiver.

Sasuke walked towards the backend of the roof, facing the ocean, knowing exactly how many steps he needed to take to reach the edge. He sat down, a foot from the perimeter, and stared.

And thought of nothing else but of the black water ahead, and the noise of the waves, and the silent beach, and the cool breeze – and definitely not of the weird feeling in his stomach every time he thought of Sakura as he sat there on the roof.

No, he definitely wasn't thinking of that.

Or the fact that the weird feeling seemed to affect the temperature outside and how it got seemingly a couple of degrees warmer when he pictured her face. Which is certainly not the reason why he decided to head back inside to the air conditioned room because it was getting a little too hot (despite the fact that he still shivered from the wind).

Going through the skylight feet first, he found a good grip on the edge of the roof. He let himself dangle by his hands momentarily – giving his torso a good stretch – before swinging back down onto the loft.

He lay down on his back among the blankets and pillows, the chilled air of the room a relief to the temperature he (apparently) felt outside. But as his body heat slowly cooled to equilibrium, he found that it was too cold.

He found that he still couldn't get to sleep.

He found that if he rolled over and thought about her, he could.

So he rolled over, closing his eyes, hating himself for it, and did just that.

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Sakura POV

HALLOWEEN! I'm so excited! I definitely am dressing up!

You would usually think that a seventeen year old in grade 11 wouldn't dress up, but it changes when your school tends to be competitive with others- EVERYBODY dresses up. And the part that I'm excited for is later tonight. Ino, Hinata, and I don't really _go_ trick-or-treating; we dress up, walk around the neighborhood, and go to Starbucks. There are also a couple of parties that aren't on the bad-shit list, so we stop by them sometimes. But I don't know if we actually _can_ go trick or treating, because the sky is overcast, and it looks like it's going to rain.

Anyways, this year Ino, Hinata and I all decided to be fairies. So when I woke up, I put on a pink tank top and a green pixie-skirt-type-thing. Then I put on pink ballet flats for shoes and small green fairy wings on my back. After straightening my hair, I used eyeliner and eye shadow to design a flower at the corner of my eye. Then I went to school.

Ino and Hinata had similar costumes to mine, except Ino's was blue and Hinata's was purple. Choji hadn't done much- he was dressed in red with a string tied around his ankle, claiming to be a balloon. I noticed Lee was dressed in some sort of prince attire, and proclaimed his undying love to me while striking his 'good guy' pose, before running off to somewhere- probably looking for Mr. Gai.

One of the costumes that surprised me was Naruto's. He had skipped over to me at my locker, wearing orange fox ears and a fox tail.

"Hey Sakura! Look! I'm foxy! See," He said, pointing to the ears on his head.

I think I died a little on the inside. But I ended up laughing on the outside.

The costume that surprised me the most was Sasuke's – because he didn't wear one. I mean, EVERYBODY wears costumes – even if they are only a small accessory- they still claim to be something. But when I was in Spanish class with Ino, I overheard Sasuke saying 'nothing' to all of his fangirls when they asked what he was supposed to be. Party Pooper.

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I made sure to pay careful attention to Ino and Hinata as we walked around the streets that night. Every year they always, somehow, manage to run and hide from me when I'm not looking. They think its funny, like a joke, and though it kind of is, I'm always left alone to try and find them. But this year they won't escape me, because I kept a vigilant eye on them the whole time. That is until I saw Sasuke walking towards us.

Well, towards _me_, because as soon as I stopped watching Ino and Hinata, they had managed to get away _again_.

"Sakura!" a hyper active Sarah came running towards me at full force, and then skidded to a stop before me. "Sasuke is taking me trick-or-treating! Look at how much candy I got!" She practically yelled, and showed me the large bag she was carrying. It was filled to the top with candy- except most of them were wrappers. She probably ate the majority of it, hence the way she was bouncing up and down with a huge grin plastered on her face.

"Wow, that's a _lot_ of candy," And I hazarded a glance towards Sasuke, who had finally made it to where we were standing (well, where I was standing – Sarah was bouncing). He looked annoyed – probably because he was missing a party because of Sarah.

"Can you guess what I am?" continued Sarah, and then she stood still for about 10 seconds before bouncing again.

I gave her costume a once-over.

And then I gave it a twice-over.

And then I just stared, confused – not quite sure what she was supposed to be.

Her costume from head to toe went as proceeded: a tiara, sunglasses, a long beaded necklace, a superman top, a tootoo, leopard spotted leggings, construction boots, a fairy wand in one hand and a water gun in the other.

Wow.

"Uh… A fairy princess, erm, spy?" I guessed, and hoped that I was somewhat close to her true intent.

"Almost! I'm a fairy _queen_ ballerina hippy leopard _super_ spy in disguise as a construction worker. I couldn't decide what I wanted to be." She corrected, matter-of-factly.

"…that's cool. I'm a fairy." I felt embarrassed saying that with Sasuke right there. By the way, he hadn't said anything yet, and he was kind of staring… at me.

"Well, I am a fairy _queen_, so I rule over you. Want some candy my loyal fairy subject?" She shoved the bag of candy in my face but I rejected. By the way- where does she learn all these words? Loyal fairy subject? Does a normal six year old know what that even means?

"Um, no thanks," I replied, and I could feel myself getting redder and redder when I noticed Sasuke was _still_ staring. Oh please don't let this be like the Starbucks incident – foam on my face was embarrassing enough.

"Okay! Then I'll have some!" And as Sarah continued to jump, she reached into her bag and shoved a whole bunch of candy into her mouth after relieving them of their wrappers. She was _wired_.

"No more candy." Sasuke finally spoke. I looked up at him, confused, and then back down at Sarah, who looked like she was about to explode – that, or have a mental breakdown.

Then it made sense.

Lots of candy and little kids don't mix – especially for Sarah. I should have seen the tantrum coming.

"But I want more candy!" Sarah whined, continuing to fill her mouth.

"Sarah." Sasuke spoke calmly, though his eyes held frustration. "No more. We're leaving."

"But I want to stay with Sakura! We're fairies in a fairy kingdom and I want the candy!" Sarah's voice cracked as it took on the edge of hysteria. All the sugar was finally getting to her.

"Um, Sarah?" I started tentatively, "I think you've had enough candy, and uh, Sasuke says its time to-"

"No! I want to trick-or-treat some more! Trick-or-treat!" Her eyes went wild as her breathing became deeper – the definite signs of a tantrum.

Sasuke saw the signs too and tried to compensate, "Until the end of the block, then we're leaving."

"But I want to stay with Sakura!" Sarah ran forward and latched onto my legs, "I want to stay!" And the tears started coming out in frantic sobs.

"Sarah," Sasuke said in a warning voice.

"I want to stay!" she screamed and I was losing my balance with her clinging to my legs. I knew she was hyper, but I didn't know it was _this_ bad. So I decided to keep my mouth shut and see if Sasuke could solve the problem.

"Sarah," Sasuke said again, though this time softer. He knelt down and placed his hands on her waist. "It's time to go." He gave a small tug to see if he could get her off my legs, but Sarah started screaming at his contact. When he gave a harder tug, her limbs went flailing, and she ended up kicking my shin. Which, might I say, hurt like a bitch.

I gasped and fell over backwards on the pavement, with Sarah still attached to my legs still sobbing. I'm definitely going to have a bruise on my butt and scrapes on my hands.

Sasuke heaved an annoyed sigh, before saying hesitantly, reluctantly, and so quietly I almost didn't hear it, "Do you want me to tell Mom?" And I know it was the wrong time to be thinking random thoughts, but Oh My God! Did that not just sound _so _adorable? He was using the 'Mom' technique on Sarah, and I actually saw, only a teensy little bit, of embarrassment on his face.

But no matter how cute I thought the excuse was, Sarah didn't fall for it. Instead, she scrambled up to my upper body while I was still on the ground. Her arms went around my neck in a strangling hold while her legs wrapped around my waist in a vice grip. I'm pretty sure I wasn't able to breath.

"Fucking shit," I heard Sasuke breath, as he stood up and ran a frustrated hand through his hair (which was _way_ hot!). Sarah continued to sob, her head on my shoulder, repeating two phrases over and over again: "I want to stay," and "Sakura trick-or-treating."

Okay, I had to calm her down, and Sasuke wasn't helping at all – he was too busy cussing and trying to get rid of the crowd that formed because of the scene Sarah made. He actually wasn't forcefully getting rid of the crowd – he was just glaring at them, though it seemed scary enough to drive people away.

During that time, I was rubbing circles on Sarah's back, and saying softly in her ear, "Shhhhshhhshhh, calm down," over and over again.

By the time the crowd had disappeared, Sarah had almost completely calmed down, worn out after the whole tantrum. You would have thought she was asleep if there wasn't a small whimper every few seconds.

This was when Sasuke took his chance to untangle me and Sarah.

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Sasuke's POV

Sasuke knelt down taking his hands and prying them between the space between the two on the ground, noticing Sakura's short intake of breath at his hands near her stomach. He then gently encircled his arms around Sarah's waist, hoping to lift her off of Sakura and calmly take her home. But when he tugged the slightest bit, Sarah's whimpers turned into full volume screams again. When he let go, she calmed back down to whimpers.

The two teenagers then spent a very awkward five minutes in silence, trying to figure out what to do with Sarah the Land Mine – if you stepped in the wrong places, she would explode.

Sasuke then tried to gently pull Sarah off again, but the six-year old held tight, screaming and sobbing every time Sasuke tugged – no matter how lightly he did it.

They waited another five minutes until Sakura whispered, "I think she's asleep."

And it was true – well, partially. She was asleep in a way where she wasn't fully conscious, but still in a state where she had full control of her body – meaning she would clamp her hands down on Sakura's hair if Sasuke tried to untangle the two.

"Get up," Sasuke said, turning to his last hope.

"Um, okay." Sakura replied, confused and nervous at the same time. A blush stained her cheeks when she tried, but failed to bring both herself and the six year old to stand. "I- I can't. Sarah, she's kind of heavy for me and-"

Sasuke interrupted her with a frustrated sigh. Rolling his eyes, he trudged behind her and hooked his hands underneath her arms. "Weak," he breathed, without its usual hostility, after pulling her up. He would have let her go normally, but Sasuke couldn't resist. Instead of just dropping his hands, he let them drag down Sakura's sides, earning a shiver, a blush, and lots of rambling.

Since Sarah still refused to release the teenager, Sakura was forced to carry her, albeit very awkwardly.

"Come," Sasuke stated bluntly, and turned to walk down the street.

"What? Where are we going?" Sakura inquired, struggling to keep up because of the extra weight in her hands. Sasuke suspected she had never carried something as heavy as a six-year old before.

"My car is two blocks away." He replied without even turning around. Secretly, he kind of, _kind of, _wanted to help Sakura carry his little brat of a sister, but to help her would mean to stand very close to her and hold some part of Sarah without fully detaching her from Sakura. Though it would make the other teenager _very_ flustered, it would also make it _very_ awkward for the both of them. Plus Sasuke would look like an idiot.

Sakura was completely out of breath by the time they reached Sasuke's car. He noticed that her legs trembled and that there was sweat on her brow – and this gave him a tiny tinge of what was maybe guilt. Maybe.

"We passed my friends on the way here, I should get back to them," she panted. But Sasuke ignored her and instead climbed into the front seat and started the car.

It took a couple of moments for Sakura to find the door handle, with Sarah being in her arms and all. This made the tinge-of-what-was-maybe-guilt in Sasuke grow larger. When she did open the door, she simply let herself collapse into the back seat with Sarah still in her arms – only enough energy to close the door and too exhausted to do anything else.

This surprised Sasuke only the tiniest bit, though he didn't let it show. He wasn't expecting Sakura to enter the car as well, but without Sasuke's help, Sarah was a heavy burden, and the guilt-thing grew (which also surprised him).

On the way to Sasuke's house, Sakura asked questions, trying to make small talk. It didn't work though, because Sasuke would vaguely answer and/or reply with a "Hn," and Sakura would start rambling.

By the time they reached the Carter mansion, Sarah was fully asleep. The tantrum she had must have completely worn her out, because she was releasing soft snores every once in a while. Sasuke was finally able to untangle Sarah, and before he could carry her inside, Sakura spoke.

"Um, can I get a ride back to um, my house?"

Sasuke seemed as if to say something else, but instead gave a small nod. Though she kind of provoked the tantrum, she also made it stop – and he felt, for real now, guilty for not helping her. Which was weird, because Sasuke _never_ felt guilty.

Sasuke had carried Sarah straight to her room, where he called one of the house staff to help Sarah get into her pajamas and tuck her in.

He then walked back outside to drive Sakura home. After getting into his car, he let out an uncharacteristic sigh and then-

"Is she still sleeping?" said a voice beside him.

_Déjà vu._

Sasuke turned to see Sakura in the passengers' seat looking very… _original _in a fairy costume. He nodded in reply and started the engine. "Whew," Sakura continued, "That was one hell of a tantrum."

Sasuke nodded, but then did something that he usually doesn't do- he made a compliment. "You… handled it well." He said, sounding slightly awkward.

Sakura gave a genuine smile, blushed, and then that was it.

No "thanks honey" and no kiss. But her face was _so_ close to his, and Sasuke found himself unconsciously leaning towards her, seeing her mimic his movement – but then, he stopped.

Scrutinizing himself for almost losing control of the situation, he put the car in reverse and backed out of the driveway.

The rest of the car ride was silent. Sakura was looking out the window, blushing every once in a while and fiddling with the hem of her fairy skirt, though still smiling. Sasuke was thinking, and almost lost focus of driving because of it.

Because it was so much like the dream. _So much. _Except no kiss.

And what scared him was that he _wanted_ the kiss. Wait – he wasn't scared, he was _confused _– because Sasuke doesn't get scared. But _still._ He wanted it.

And when he reached Sakura's house and she got out, saying a small thank you, Sasuke didn't reply. He was still thinking.

And usually he wouldn't have stopped himself from kissing her either, even if it was someone else's girlfriend. But Sakura… He wanted to kiss her and he _stopped_. He wanted to kiss annoying, rambling, blushing, clumsy _paper towel girl_, but he stopped himself. Not out of disgust, but just _because._ He fucking wanted to fucking kiss her and he fucking stopped _just because?!_ What type of a reason was that? What the fuck was wrong with him?! Why did he stop?

Why did he care so much?

What the fuck?

Until he fell asleep that night, his thoughts were only filled with one thing: holy fucking shit ass mother fucking whore monger shitting asswipe fuck up.

He woke up the next morning to Sarah at his doorway with puppy dog eyes and a plate filled with heart-shaped pancakes that said "sorry" in chocolate chips.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 19

**Chapter 8**

Sakura's POV

After Sasuke had dropped me off, I called Ino on her cell phone to tell her I was home, and she probably didn't even hear me because she was chattering on and on about how she saw me walking with Sasuke. She wanted to know _everything_. From how I met up with him to why I was carrying the little girl that was in Starbucks. I didn't tell her though. I actually kind of hung up on her – the tantrum Sarah had gave me the BIGGEST headache of my life, and Ino wasn't helping at all. The fact that I could barely move my arms didn't assist in making me feel better.

I decided I'd had enough of walking around and trick-or-treating, so I got dressed in my pj's and watched Halloween specials with Samuel on my lap.

But as I was watching TV, I noticed something smelled different. And I didn't know what it was until I realized that the pj shorts I was wearing were the ones that Sarah borrowed the first time I had babysat her.

But it didn't smell like pee or anything – because that would be disgusting – it smelled like Sasuke's clothes. And it's not like a I'm a stalker or anything – I only know what Sasuke's clothes smell like because I've been in his room and he's been _very_ close to me _many_ times. I guess the house staff use the same detergent to wash everybody in the household's clothes.

And then I noticed that not only did the pj's smell very good, but they were also _very_ soft. Fabric Softener? I think so. But what scent was it supposed to be? Lavender? No, that would be to girly... though it had some sort of a floral smell...

Samuel fell off of my lap and meowed angrily as I suddenly stood up, wondering what the hell I was doing. What sort of loser analyzes their pj's? Apparently me, but I blamed it on the headache. So I took some extra-strength Tylenol, and hopped into bed (Sam following, apparently he forgave me).

As I lay there, I couldn't help but laugh at myself (with Samuel looking at me strangely) – the position I must have been in to be able to smell and feel the pj shorts must have looked hilarious if anyone had seen it. And, just before I fell asleep, I almost secretly decided that these pyjamas were my favourite.

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Sasuke POV

"Sasuke?" Mrs. Carter knocked on his bedroom door and entered. Sasuke, who was playing one of his videogames lazily after eating all of Sarah's pancakes, paused his game and then looked over. Not only had his adoptive mother entered, but so had Sarah again – and she looked like she was about to burst with happiness. "Remember the conference that Phillip and I were supposed to go to in two weeks?" Marie asked, and Sasuke gave a nod. "Well, its been moved up to this weekend, and it would be too much of a hassle for all of us to go, so would it be okay with you if we left you two at home? The house staff can watch Sarah most of the time, so you can go to your parties and have your fun, but it would be a reassurance if you could watch her some of the time?" Sasuke thought first, and nodded again – did he really have a choice in the matter? He felt he had to-

The latter was proven when Sarah dived forward and clung to Sasuke, saying, "Hooray! Me and you for the whole weekend, _together_!"

Somehow, Sasuke slightly regretted his decision.

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Sakura POV

The next morning as I was driving to school my car made the weirdest noise ever. It was like a muffled ticking that then turned into what sounded like a Champaign bottle being popped – then it went back to normal.

The next day the same noises happened, except this time the ending pop was so loud that it 'scared me shitless' for a lack of a better phrase. I ended up jumping, screaming, and then swerving to the side of the rode almost hitting a car and an old man. Luckily I got control in time and braked before anything serious happened.

So instead of going to school that morning, my dad and I took the car to a repair shop, and then he took me out to lunch.

"Puriti is coming down for the Christmas break," he said as the waitress came with our food.

"Really? I haven't seen her in so long! She usually visits more often," I replied excitedly. Now there will be someone to hang out with during the break.

"Mhmm," my dad nodded while taking a bite of his lunch, "But that means you can't use her car – you know how she gets if even one mile is added to the meter."

Damn. I forgot about that, so then how will I get around to places? I voiced my question out loud.

"You can probably take a taxi to the farther places, but other than that, I guess you could walk," he replied.

"Walk! But that will take so long, and what if I go shopping? How will I carry the shopping bags all the way back home?" It's going to be hell without my car, I can already tell.

"You could catch a ride from Ino or one of your friends. Or you could ride your bike."

"Ew- Dad, I'm not going to ride my bike everywhere – I'd look like a total loser!" I exclaimed. Ino would make fun of me for the rest of my life if I rode my bike everywhere. Not that there's anything wrong with bikes or biking – it's just not that popular among the students at my school, and most of the kids who _do_ ride their bikes, get picked on. I mean, I don't do the picking on, but that's the way the social structure works.

"Then I guess it's a taxi, or walking – but I can drive you to school after we finish," He said after laughing at my reaction.

"Fine." I grumbled, and continued eating my lunch.

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"Absolutely not." My mother firmly said.

I let my head rest in my hands as I sat on the living room couch – watching my parents bicker back and forth. It was later the next day and in the evening; and they had already been arguing for 20 minutes.

"But mom! That's so not fair!" I protested, though I was too lazy to lift my head again.

"Ssshhh Sakura, let me handle this," my dad said, and then turned to my mom, "I think it is only reasonable that since Sakura's car is currently in repairs and she can't use Puriti's, then it is only reasonable to let her take a taxi."

"Think, how expensive it would be to take a taxi all the time?" she argued.

"It wouldn't be that expensive." I grumbled.

"Sakura," my dad warned again, "though she is right honey-"

"Don't honey me," my mom interrupted.

"Taking a taxi is basically the same price as paying for gas for her car," he continued.

"But why is she even taking a car? She's a human being, she can walk – and I was against getting them cars in the first place." My mom said – in my opinion, her argument was lame, and she definitely agreed to get us cars.

"We both agreed to get them cars, it was not only my decision." he maintained. See? I was right – my mom is just making up stupid things to get her way – and I think she's only doing it to piss my dad off. "And that's not what we are discussing now," he continued.

"Fine then, she can't take a taxi because it's too expensive." she replied.

"We just talked about this – paying for gas and taking a taxi are basically the same price." He said once again.

"It still costs a lot more, and I'm not willing to spend any more money on something that is avoidable." My mom stood up as she said this to make her point more clear.

"Oh, and this comes from the person who takes three grand and disappears for five days," my dad shot back, standing up as well. "Was that not 'avoidable'?" he said the last word while making quotation marks with his hands.

Obviously this argument was turning in a direction where the topic was not about me, so I slipped away to my room and closed the door to muffle their shouting. A couple of seconds later I heard Samuel scratching at my door frantically. I let him and he ran into my closet, probably terrified of the yelling.

I mean, honestly, they're acting like children. Even I'm more mature than them at times. Actually – scratch that last point – considering I just turned on my computer to play online games, I'm still on a lower level of maturity (though to me, my mom seems to be lowering down to my level).

I beat my high score three times before I finally heard the yelling stop. I then heard one person slam the front door while another trudged slowly up the stairs. Then there was a knock my door.

"Sakura?" It was my dad.

"Yeah?" I answered, exiting the internet window on the computer.

"Sorry, but I guess you'll have to be walking," he said while opening the door.

"No taxi?" I asked, and didn't make a big deal – my dad looked upset.

"No, sorry babe." He replied and then closed the door and I heard footsteps go down the stairs.

I shuddered at the last thing he said. 'Babe' reminded me of what Naruto called me- and hearing it from my dad made Naruto seem more and more like a brother-type person. ( A/N FYI- when Sakura's dad said 'babe' its not pedophilia/incest at all- its just another word for honey, or sweetie, or those other names that dads give u, got it? cuz after reading it, it did sound a little wrong...and I wanted to clear things up)

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Sasuke POV

Sasuke woke up to the sound of his door opening and then closing, though he didn't open his eyes. He then heard soft footsteps and the latter that lead to the loft creak. He turned over onto his stomach with his head faced down into the pillows when he heard some of the mattresses near him squeak. Then he felt a presence very near him, and though he still feigned sleep, he knew what was going on.

Small hands were placed on Sasuke's side and they slowly turned him over so he was on his back once again. It was when he felt breath on his face that he, with his eyes still closed, shot one arm out and grabbed the intruder's hand, which was only inches from his face and holding an open black marker.

A sharp gasp came from Sarah, and as she tried to free her arm, whined, "Sasuke! How did you know?!"

"Hn." He smirked, and opened his eyes, "You're not a very good secret agent."

Two minutes later, Sarah walked out of Sasuke's room, not looking very happy with a drawn-on black moustache, goatee, and glasses to adorn the frown on her face.

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Sakura POV

I slept in the next morning until 11:30 since it was Saturday. When my mom came home last night, another argument had ensued and I hardly got any sleep. It wasn't until after making breakfast (which was more like brunch) when I remembered that Naruto and I were meeting at Sasuke's for Biology- and now I was late. In a hurry, I grabbed the first things I saw in my closet and shoved them on (one of which was the green skirt my mom got me). I then ran around the house looking for my car keys, only to remember that my car was in repair and that I had to fricken walk because my mom wouldn't let me take a fricken taxi. This would make me even more late (I didn't call for Naruto because I was still a little weirded out with the 'Babe' thing last night). I grabbed a jacket on the way out just in case – the sky was really overcast and there was a cool breeze.

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Sasuke POV

After showering and dressing, Sasuke walked down to the kitchen to have his breakfast prepared. While he was eating, one of the house staff approached him with a message. Apparently Naruto had called saying he couldn't come that day because he was sick so they should cancel, but Sasuke knew that the idiot actually had a really bad hangover from the party the previous night.

Sasuke hadn't drunken that much knowing they had to work the next day, but Naruto didn't take such precautions – and also not knowing (more like not caring) how much alcohol his body could take, he drank the night away.

So Sasuke now had a free Sunday, but had wasted what could have been a good Saturday night of getting hammered and laid – assuming that Naruto had also called Sakura and told her not to come.

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Haruno Household

"You've reached the Haruno household, sorry we're not in right now, please leave a message at the sound of the tone and we'll call back as soon as we can."

BEEEEEEEEEP

"Hey Sakura? It's Naruto. Just calling to tell you that I've gotten sick and that we're not getting together at Sasuke's today. I'll call you later when I'm better and maybe we can have another date or something. Bye!"

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Sakura POV

So I'm walking to Sasuke's and there is this one neighbourhood that you have to pass that is kind of sketchy. As I approached it, hoping to get by as quickly as possible, I noticed ahead of me that there were these two groups of people that didn't seem so friendly with one another. They were yelling and swearing at each other, and then one guy pushed another, and the whole crowd started fighting. I've never seen something so terrifying up close – they were like 20 feet away from me, and I had to walk right by them.

And I wasn't about to do that, so instead I turned a corner hoping to go around them and maybe even find a short cut. But I didn't really know the neighbourhood that well, so guess what? I got myself lost.

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Sasuke POV

He had just finished breakfast (which Sasuke found out was more like brunch – he must have slept in) and was walking back to his room when he heard it – a soft sort of whimpering coming from one of the bathrooms. Figuring it was Sarah, he went to investigate.

He guessed correctly – Sarah was in front of the sink in one of the bathrooms, wearing a princess costume and crying quietly out of frustration. Her face and hands were smeared with black, from trying to wash off Sasuke's earlier masterpiece.

"Sarah," Sasuke said, trying to suppress a smirk. She wasn't doing a very good job, which was probably why she was crying, because he could still see most of the marker, while the rest of her face took on a greyish tint.

Sarah turned to him with big, tearing eyes and a quivering bottom lip, which took the smirk right off of Sasuke's face. "I want to be a princess," she said in between small sobs, "but I can't be a princess with all this on me," she continued, showing him her dirty hands. She then noticed that some of the marker-polluted water had dripped onto her princess costume, and let out a soft wail, "I can't do it." She plopped down into a sitting position letting out quiet despair-filled sobs and used her hands to rub her eyes – which just spread the mess around even more.

Sasuke didn't narrow or roll his eyes, he didn't even let out any sort of negative sounds or sighs; he silently walked over to the sink, picked up and wetted a facecloth, added some soap, bent down in front of Sarah, and started washing away all the marker.

Sarah's sobs had quieted to small whimpers by the time the marker was fully washed away (thankfully it was washable marker), and he even managed to get it out of her dress- but her mood was still sombre. Sasuke felt guilty, after all, it was him who drew the marker all over her face. So, checking his watch – it was almost noon – he lifted Sarah into his arms and walked out of the bathroom, then said quietly, almost softly, "Starbucks?"

Sarah nodded into his shoulder, and after making a quick trip to his room to grab his wallet (still carrying Sarah), he headed for his car.

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Sakura POV

Okay, so I'm definitely lost. I think I'm going to try and retrace my steps and get back onto the main street.

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Sasuke POV

Sarah's mood was slowly becoming lighter as they drove to Starbucks, but she hadn't spoken a word yet. Out of all of the moods Sarah had- from annoyingly happy, to raging tantrum – this was the one he hated the most: when she was truly and genuinely sad. What made it even worse is it was Sasuke who caused it.

"It's raining." Sarah finally spoke, though very quietly. Sasuke glanced at her through the rear-view mirror and saw her smiling slightly with a hand on the window, following the drops that were landing and sliding down the glass.

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Sakura POV

You have got to be freaking kidding me. Not only can I _not_ find my way back to the main street, but it started raining. Just my luck – the one day I don't have my car, it rains.

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Sasuke POV

Sasuke and Sarah arrived at Starbucks just as the rain started to come down harder. Sarah still hadn't returned to her normal self, but Sasuke had a plan for that.

Since Sasuke had moved in with the Carter's, he had discovered that good looks can get you a long way. For example, when he was in elementary school, he could get out of the toughest situations where he was the criminal or catalyst. He still uses this 'talent', though now it's mostly to get free or discounted alcohol, drugs, get laid, or to just get his way (or, more recently, to fluster Sakura). His plan to make Sarah happy included this 'talent', and the girl working the register was going to be his 'victim'.

Sasuke casually walked over to the counter, leaned his elbows on it, and then said in the same, low, voice he uses to fluster Sakura (yes, he uses a certain voice especially for her), "Grande dark roast, black, and…" he looked down towards Sarah, who's chin just made it past the counter.

"Can I please have lemonade and a chocolate chip cookie please?" she asked, though it didn't hold the enthusiasm it usually does.

"And what size would that be?" asked the register girl, giving a flirtatious smile to Sasuke and then looking at Sarah for her response.

"Um, I don't know," Sarah said, and then turned towards Sasuke, tugging his sleeve to get his attention, "What size should I get?"

Sasuke turned his gaze from Sarah to the register girl, "Venti." He said, and then turned to Sarah, "The biggest."

"Wow," Sarah said, and a small smile formed on her face. She was starting to lighten up, but Sasuke had yet to put his plan in action.

"Okay, that will be 8.15 please," the register girl said and giggled under Sasuke's stare.

Sasuke, holding the register girl's eyes, reached into his back pocket to get his wallet, took out a 10 dollar bill, and held it out for the register girl to take. But when the girl reached out to take it, Sasuke caught her hand, leaned forward, and whispered into her ear something that went unheard to Sarah. Still keeping the girl's gaze, he leaned back and said, slightly husky, "Keep the change."

The register girl blushed, nodded, and then turned to prepare the drinks.

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Sakura POV

The stupid rain decided to pour down even harder, making me completely soaked. Still not knowing where the hell I was, I kept walking, and I'm not sure I was making any progress at all.

I was getting frustrated, except I was too nervous and stubborn to go up to a house and ask directions. Plus, the houses looked kind of…unfriendly.

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Sasuke POV

Sasuke received his coffee normally, but under his request, the register girl presented Sarah with her lemonade and cookie by curtsying and saying, "For the princess."

Sarah's eyes went wide as she received her order, and looked at Sasuke, who smirked. A grin spread across her face as she took the lemonade and cookie into her hands.

"Sarah," Sasuke called from the seat he'd chosen. Being so awed by being called a princess, she failed to realize Sasuke had already found a table.

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" she called and ran up to where Sasuke was.

Sasuke smirked for two reasons: the first being that the register girl looked like a complete idiot when she curtsied and fell for his act, and the second was that Sarah was her usual self again.

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Sakura POV

"WHERE TH E HELL AM I!?"

I screamed out of frustration and then burst into tears. I'd been wandering in the pouring rain for over an hour, lost, wet, scared, and hungry. And I was ruining the skirt that my mom got me.

I finally decided to walk up to one of the houses and ask for directions.

No one was home in the first house, and the second house had a really creepy senile old man. The third house I went to told me that I was no where near the Carter's neighbourhood, and then slammed the door in my face.

That was why I didn't want to ask anybody in the first place.

And that meant I had only one choice left, and I really didn't want to call _him_ when I was in this state of hysteria.

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Sasuke POV

Sasuke decided it was time to leave when the rain started to fall more heavily – Sarah wasn't fond of storms. She clung to him like a life-line as they made their way outside, and only let go once he had put her in her car seat.

Just as Sasuke pulled out of the parking space, his cell phone rang.

"Hello?"

There was no reply.

"Hello?" he said again, this time more annoyed. This time, he waited for a couple of seconds as he heard muffles sobs, then came a voice.

"Sasuke?" It was definitely the voice of Sakura on the other end.

"What?" He asked bluntly.

"Um, I think I… got lost on the way… to your house." She said brokenly and in between sobs.

"Didn't the idiot call you?" He asked, getting annoyed.

"What? W-who?" she asked, and he could hear her hiccough through the phone.

"Never mind. Where are you now?" He continued reluctantly.

"I don't know, but I've been wandering for an hour because these guys looked bad and then I tried to avoid them, but I didn't know where I was going, and -"

"Saku-" he tried to cut her off but she kept rambling.

"And then I went to these houses and they were all really mean and then I didn't know what to do so I called you because you know the way to your house, right? And now-"

"Sakur-" he tried again.

"I'm wet and I'm cold and I'm wet and I'm hungry and I don't know where I am! And I'm all wet!" she sobbed, and Sasuke was finally able to speak.

"Where are you?"

"I'm on the ground because my legs hurt 'cause I've been walking for an hour and I'm tired and-"

"Where the fu-" Sasuke had to calm himself down, remembering that Sarah was present, "What is the street name." He asked, stressing each word by annunciating them perfectly.

"I don't know! I don't even know where I am!"

"Have you checked the street signs?" He replied through clenched teeth.

"Wha? sniff No, I don't think so," she answered and it seemed she had calmed somewhat.

Sasuke heard her walking through the phone, then a gasp, then an "I didn't think to look at the street sign."

_Obviously not_ he thought, but voiced differently, "So…?"

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Sasuke pulled up in front of a very wet, very distressed Sakura, who was sitting on the ground at the side of the road.

Sakura got in the car silently, except for murmuring a small 'thank you', and stayed silent for the rest of the ride. Sasuke was silent too, though pissed off that Sakura was getting his car all wet. Sarah was the only person making any noise, and she was singing 'If all the rain drops' and happily slurping her lemonade.

They were still silent even as they reached the Carter house. Sarah ran off to who-knows-where, and that left Sasuke and Sakura to awkwardly stand in the front hall. Then, after a couple of minutes of uncomfortably shifting from side to side shivering in wet clothes, Sakura spoke.

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Sakura POV

"Could… could I have um, a towel, or… um…something dry, to um, change into?" I asked timidly.

Sasuke just stared at me, and I thought he was going to refuse, but then I think he saw my teeth chattering and changed his mind.

He sighed heavily, "Come." And he led me to his room.

Once inside, he went into his bathroom/closet and threw me a pair of shorts and a T shirt. "Change in there." He said, pointing to where he came from.

This is where I got to see that it wasn't really a bathroom/closet. What I thought was a closet actually resembled a walk-in closet, but at the end, there was a door, and that led to the bathroom.

The bathroom again suited Sasuke- the colours were white and navy blue, and everything was stark clean. I also took pride in the fact that I was probably the only girl to ever be in his bathroom (excluding the house staff). And because of this, I couldn't help but do a little snooping.

The clothes that Sasuke gave me were _way_ too big for me. The T-shirt went to just above my knees, while the shorts were constantly falling down – and it's not that Sasuke is large, I think I'm just small. I felt really awkward wearing his clothes, and even more so knowing that Sasuke would see me in them.

I walked out of the bathroom and through the closet while carrying my wet clothes, and drowning in Sasuke's. They were so big the shorts kept on falling down – I had to keep one hand on them at all times. So not only did I probably look absolutely ridiculous in Sasuke's clothes, but the rain had smudged my mascara and made my make-up run. I probably looked a complete wreck.

Sasuke didn't make me feel any better about it either – he just stared with an indifferent expression when he saw me, and there was an awkward silence that followed.

"Um… can I possibly, um, have a bag or something… or… um… get these dried, maybe? Please?" I asked, trying to break the silence. He stared for a couple more seconds, then shoved his hands in his pockets, gave a small nod, rolled his eyes, and turned to go out the door. I followed him down a couple of hallways and stairs, to a door that lead to a laundry room. There, he told me to hand my clothes over to one of the staff, who I assumed would wash them.

"Are we going to, um, work on the project still?" I asked as I followed him back to his room.

He didn't speak or turn around, he just nodded once.

"Um, okay," I answered, and turned to fiddling with the hem of the shirt I was wearing. I noticed that it was very similar to the one he had on and wondered if his whole wardrobe was made up of dark, very similar looking t-shirts.

Then I wondered if the pajama shorts that Sarah borrowed were washed the same as Sasuke's close. So, taking the hem of the shirt, I slowly, making sure he wouldn't turn around, brought it up to my nose.

Yup, it did smell the same – but I still couldn't figure out what the scent was supposed to be of. And while I was so stupidly smelling his shirt, I failed to realize that we had already made it to his room, and that he had stopped briefly to open the door. But that was all the time I needed to take the one extra step that would make me bump into him. Now, it wouldn't have been as embarrassing if I had just _normally_ bumped into him- but of course, the bottom of his shirt (the one I was wearing) was clutched in my hands, pressed up against my nose, and exposing my bare stomach- which was the part that just so happened to come in contact with his arm. And no matter how mortifying the situation was, I couldn't bring myself to move –I was frozen. Frozen with me smelling his shirt and my stomach bare, pressed up against his bare arm – and my face was probably so red that the shade was darker than my hair.

So Sasuke turned to look at me, catching me in that exact position – and I _still_ couldn't move. But he didn't move either.

Sasuke's left arm led to his pocket, while his right- the one my stomach was so conveniently in contact with- was in the midst of reaching for the doorknob of his room. His body had become tense the moment I bumped into him, and his face showed indifference with a hint of annoyance. And when his eye twitched once, I thought he would either become very angry, or burst out laughing. Since the latter would probably never happen to Sasuke, I mentally prepared for the former.

But it never came.

Instead, his eyes gave me a pretty _long_ once-over. His right arm, because he couldn't have just taken it away like a normal person, slowly skimmed across the flesh of my stomach as he removed it. I shivered and blushed harder. One of his eyebrows quirked and, after he opened the door, he walked into his room as if nothing had happened. I then recognized the look that was present in his eyes as the whole ordeal had played – it was amusement. And amusement meant that he was teasing me, or making fun of me, or something! And in any other event I would have been pissed at that, but two factors were different this time: one, this was the unbelievably, smolderingly attractive Sasuke; two, the fact that he had been teasing me, made it very hard to breath.

I only moved when I felt the shorts start to slide off of my hips. I let go of the shirt and grabbed the shorts to keep them secure.

So, after regaining the ability to inhale and exhale properly again, I straightened myself out and walked through the door.

I found Sasuke sitting at his desk with his knapsack open and the computer turned on. I assumed we were working in his room then.

"Um, is there another chair?" I asked as I walked over to the desk.

"Closet." He replied, as he fished his binder out of his bag. I gave a small 'okay' and made my way towards his closet.

As I looked for the chair I couldn't help but be a bit curious – I mean I am in a completely gorgeous guy's closet. So while I pretended to look for the chair, I took a quick overview of his closet.

Most of the clothes seemed expensive- from the labels I could see, they were practically all were designer names. His clothes also took on the usual Sasuke colours – black, white, blue and the occasional red – but from where I could see and without snooping too much, I did spot some more colourful shirts near the back of the racks and shelves.

I also came upon Sasuke's cologne collection as well, which I couldn't help but go through.

I only recognized two bottles out of the whole collection – most of the names were in foreign languages (though there were a couple of Spanish ones I could sound out). The two I recognized the most though, were Calvin Klein's Contradiction, and Dolce and Gabanna's D&G. But as I was looking through them, Sasuke coughed from the computer desk which freaked the hell out of me – I thought that he had caught me snooping in his closet. Well, because the sound surprised me, I had jumped, which had knocked over one of the bottles of Cologne – more specifically, Contradiction. Luckily, it hadn't broken because the floor was carpeted; but it did cause the cap to come off, which then caused the cologne to leak. Whispering curses, I quickly picked up the bottle and screwed the cap back on. But now I smelled like Sasuke, the bottle was basically empty, and there was a spill of cologne on the carpet. And even though it seemed very stalkerish (not that going through his closet isn't stalker enough), I secretly enjoyed the smell of the cologne mixed with the detergent smell the clothes that I was wearing held – I guess I liked it because it smelled like Sasuke. But I shouldn't have been doing that, because there was a stain of cologne on the floor, I still hadn't returned with a chair, and it kind of made me look like a psychopath.

So, with my face tinged red again, I found the chair, hauled it out of the closet, and set it gently beside Sasuke – who sniffed the air in a confused manor.

Comprehension flickered quickly across his face before returning to the usual passive as I nervously confessed, "Um, while I was getting the chair from the closet, I accidentally, um, knocked one of the, uh, cologne bottles – it spilled a little, and I'm really sorry because it got on the carpet, and I didn't mean to and it really was an accident, but I'm so sorry, and um…yeah" I trailed off awkwardly because I realized I was rambling (which seems to be happening a lot ever since Sasuke came) He rolled his eyes and breathed a 'stupid' before getting up and walking over to the closet. I stayed where I was – too embarrassed to see his reaction. I then saw him leave the closet, then exit his room. I also hoped that he wouldn't remember that the chair was at the opposite side of the closet from the cologne.

As I waited for him to return, I noticed his binder was open and, because I promised myself I wouldn't do anymore snooping, just observed. His binder was completely organized and neat, which was expected, and it looked like he had every note he had taken in class there. I also noticed how perfect his writing was – while mine was round and curvy, his was straight and precise.

But before I could continue my observations, I heard footsteps coming towards the room again – so I sat down in the foldable chair and acted as if I wasn't being a total stalker. While I was waiting for Sasuke to reenter his room, I also noticed that his desktop background on his computer was of him and Sarah. They were on some sort of boat, and they looked like they were fishing. Sarah had a foolish look of disgust on her face and was seemingly squirming and pointing to Sasuke, who was taking a large fish off of the hook on the fishing rod with his bare hands and smirking slightly. I giggled slightly at the picture, but stopped immediately the moment Sasuke entered. He silently sat down beside me in his chair, and without even acknowledging my presence – started to research the part for our science project.

"Um, I'm really sorry," I said, trying to break the awkward tension between us. His eyes flickered to me, and then away – that was the only sign I got to know that he wasn't ignoring me. "Is the spill going to be cleaned up?" I tried again, but he only muttered 'maid' and continued to work silently. This wasn't helping the tension – it actually seemed to thicken it. So instead of sticking on the topic of my screw-ups, I decided to go for the work approach.

"Do you have the project outline?" I asked. He answered with a 'binder' and I tentatively searched it for the sheet. It wasn't hard to find because his binder was so organized, and after fishing it out, I read over the instructions. It said we had to 'research the basic function of our focus.' That was easy enough. "Try wikipedia," I suggested timidly. His glanced at me before complying. That made a small smile grace my lips – to know that he actually listened.

The rest of the time at Sasuke's played out nicely. We finished the part we were supposed to do quickly, and I didn't receive any glares – though what did happen a couple of times was the amused glint that would pass through his eyes when he would do something that would make me either an embarrassed idiot, a blushing idiot, or a rambling idiot. And I especially looked like a _total_ idiot when I got home. Sasuke seemed to have forgiven me about the cologne incident because he offered (more like silently walking to his car with me following, then getting into his car and giving me a strange look before rolling his eyes and saying, 'Am I giving you a ride or not?') to give me a ride home.

But what made me look like an idiot, was the fact that I was wearing my top, and Sasuke's shorts. According to the maid person that gave me back my clothes, the top was machine washable, but the skirt was a certain type of new designer and had to be air-dried. So I had to take the skirt home in a bag while still wearing Sasuke's shorts. What was even worse was when I was changing into my own shirt in Sasuke's bathroom- after I took off his top I looked it over briefly, only to realize that my bra hadn't dried (from my glorious walk in the rain) and had dampened two parts of the cloth right around my boobs, making two wonderfully dark circles.

Maybe that's why Sasuke didn't feel the need to embarrass me as much – I already had myself.

The next day, when I reflected all of this, I felt really bad and really embarrassed about it. And I also realized why Sasuke had stared at me – my hair was wet and it dried naturally, so he saw it in its really random state of curliness (this made me very distressed when I figured it out). And the whole getting lost and acting hysterical and making Sasuke come and pick me up thing made me feel guilty. So, my Sunday was spent pacing around my phone, deciding whether or not to call and apologize.

I finally did end up calling, though I planned exactly what I was going to say. But this is what he did after my whole apology:

"…………Hn." And then he hung up.

I was speechless for a couple of seconds, and then I suddenly got so outraged that I took my phone and threw it down on the floor. I immediately regretted my actions, and luckily the phone wasn't broken.

On Monday, I had asked Naruto to return Sasuke's shorts – which I had washed and folded and put into a plastic bag. His reaction was confusion – his exact words being,

"Wait a minute. First Sasuke is returning your shorts to you, and now you're returning his shorts to him? Are you sure there's nothing going on?" He finally agreed to return the shorts when I explained the story – though I only told him that I was lost and that it rained – nothing else. He passed it off and laughed at the fact of me getting lost in a sketchy neighborhood, though I noticed that there was some sort of reluctance or maybe suspicion in his eyes. I also noticed that he didn't kiss me that morning.

And I'm not sure whether that was a good thing or not. Actually, lately, I'm not sure about a lot of things.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 21

**Chapter 9**

Sakura's POV

Oh my God. The rain still hasn't stopped. Well, that's not entirely true because the rain would be on and off – though very frequently on. The weather reporter said that Jacksonville and the area around it was experiencing the tail of a hurricane that was building up and going on somewhere else in Florida. This made me very unhappy, because that meant wearing my hair up most of the time, or constantly straightening it. Psh- I hate my curly hair.

Naruto met me at my locker just before lunch started that Tuesday. He gave me one kiss (though it was only a peck) and asked me to sit with his group that lunch. I said yes, not wanting to be rude – even though my crush on him is fading, I'm still going out with him and I can't be mean or anything.

I was a little nervous at the beginning, because it was a whole different group of people – and Sasuke was there too. Considering I had completely embarrassed myself in front of him three days ago, I had the right to be nervous. Especially because the position Naruto sat down in, left only enough room for one seat left – and it was beside Sasuke as well.

Despite my nervousness, I ended up enjoying the group that Naruto hung out with, and I also noticed quite a few things during that lunch too.

One: My bad shit list completely demonizes the people on it. Just because they do some things I am against, doesn't mean that they are all bitchy and mean. A lot of the people there seemed to be really nice.

Two: I take back part of my previous statement – some people just really scare me. This one kid, Gaara, just sat there, not eating anything and not talking. And it freaked the hell out of me when his eyes – which are a very intense blue green – stared at me for like, a whole minute. Maybe if I got to know him better would he not be so creepy to me…

Three: No matter how much I tried to avoid it, I noticed Sasuke was wearing Contradiction – the cologne I had spilt the last time I was at his place.

Four: Sasuke actually talks. Like in conversations. With people. Being social.

Surprising much?

Five: Naruto likes to show off in front of everybody – for example, he would put his arm around me and sometimes draw me in for a quick kiss. I think this annoyed the people sitting with us, because now and then – especially after Naruto showed PDA towards me – I found Sasuke (and sometimes others – though mostly Sasuke) watching me.

Six: Sasuke's fanclub follows him everywhere. When he went to go get lunch, they followed, when he got back to the table, they followed, even when he left for the washroom, they followed. I also think I might have seen Ino somewhere in the fanclub crowd. And ugh, Karin. I can't believe Ino would even think about being in a group with Karin, let alone a fan club.

So excluding the last two points, I had a very good time sitting with them, so when Naruto asked me to sit with him at lunch again the next day, I agreed. But I did receive a somber glance from Hinata before I left. I promised myself I would fix that problem soon.

On Thursday, after I got home from school, I got a call from my dad concerning my car. Apparently it was officially broken and it would be pointless to get it repaired. And when I asked my dad, "How will I get around now? Will I get a new car?" All he said was, "We'll see." My mom told me that I could continue with the way things were, and I might have given her the finger when she wasn't looking.

I was kept up all night due to my parents fighting over my vehicle mobility; I don't think Samuel got any sleep either because he was very restless. This meant that I was very tired in the morning – which wasn't good because I had to go to Sasuke's later that day, and me being tired usually leads to me being embarrassed.

Friday was our Remembrance Day assembly, since the eleventh was on a Saturday. I was about to sit with Ino and my usual group, when Naruto called me over to sit with him. I was torn between the two, but Ino said she wouldn't mind if I sat with him, so I didn't feel so bad about leaving her and Hinata.

During lunch that day, I sat with Naruto's group again. I was informed by the blonde himself that Sasuke and he had soccer practice after school (I didn't even know they were on the team) and since I didn't have a car, I would have to wait for them to drive me.

So at the end of school, I made my way to the back field where the soccer nets were to watch them have practice. Thankfully it was overcast and not raining, but the ground was still wet, so I had to sit on my rain jacket – and just in case it started raining again – under a tree. Unthankfully, Sasuke's fanclub decided to watch them too, and (though I made sure there was quite a bit of distance between me and the club) I could hear their annoying giggles and swooning. I had to restrain myself from shouting 'Shut the fuck up!' to them.

When their practice started, I decided I would very much like to watch them play more often, because when they had a scrimmage between the team, they organized themselves into shirts and skins.

Sasuke and Naruto were on the skins team.

And though I would have much rather focused on there bare chests, I decided to try and pay attention, and maybe see how good our school's team was.

I discovered that Sasuke played centre forward most of the time (though he sometimes played the forward wings), and he was very good at soccer…and very hot too. But we already knew that.

Naruto was mainly the goal tender, though he did switch to fullback (defender) a couple of times, and he was just as good as Sasuke.

Even though I enjoyed watching the team play soccer, not just because Sasuke and Naruto were shirtless (…okay maybe that's a lie…), and even though the fanclub was very annoying, I found myself really tired due to the lack of sleep from the previous night. So I rearranged my jacket, and lay down, telling myself that I would only rest my eyes for a bit.

But I ended up falling asleep anyways. Because that's what happens every time you just 'rest your eyes'.

When I woke up, I noticed exactly eight things.

One: I was slightly wet.

Two: It was raining.

Three: Something was nudging me in the side – probably the thing that woke me up.

Four: Sasuke was nudging me in the side with his foot.

Five: Sasuke was still topless.

Six: Sasuke was still topless and very wet.

Seven: Sasuke was still topless, very wet, and covered with mud and grass.

Eight: It was the hottest thing I've ever seen.

I blushed very hard and slowly sat up, mentally applauding my choice to sit under a tree – I wasn't that wet.

"Practice is over." He stated, his eyes on me. I nodded, looked around, and then asked,

"Where is Naruto?"

He answered after a couple of seconds of blankly staring at me, "Went to put the equipment away."

"Oh," I replied stupidly, and he started walking away towards the school. "Where are you going?" I asked jogging to catch up with him while shielding my hair from the rain with my jacket.

"Change rooms." He stated in an obvious tone.

"Oh," I said again, and then kept silent.

I waited patiently outside the change room for Naruto and Sasuke to shower and get dressed. As I waited, I couldn't get the image of Sasuke when he was all shirtless and rugged and wet out of my mind. And as these images kept appearing, they slowly morphed from Sasuke outside after practice to Sasuke in the change room, then to Sasuke getting changed, then to Sasuke in the shower…

I hit my head with my hands, hoping to clear the images that I shouldn't be thinking up, but they wouldn't go away, so I kept hitting my head.

But then Naruto and Sasuke came out of the change room, and I quickly put my hands down to my side, on tenterhooks that they didn't see me acting all insane and hitting my head. I believe Naruto didn't see, but Sasuke had stared at me for a long time – so it was quite possible that he had noticed.

I rode in Naruto's car on the way to Sasuke's. I had to admit, it isn't as exciting or fun in his Lexis than it is Sasuke's Maserati Diablo partially because I don't feel like very much of a Bond girl. And Naruto is a lot more of a scarier driver than Sasuke, who drives perfectly.

The time at Sasuke's turned out a lot better than last time, mostly because I forced myself to touch only the things that needed to be touched ( like my pencils and paper), and also the fact that Naruto was there made everything socially easier (work-wise, he seemed to make things more difficult).

I got a ride home from Naruto after we finished, and he gave me only a slight peck, and then said goodbye. I think he might start feeling the way I'm feeling very soon – not much of a crush, but more of a friend, maybe even sibling.

That night, loud noises woke me up. Frantic whispers, zippers, and footsteps ensued before a slammed front door, a slammed car door, and a car engine.

The next morning I figured out that the noises came from my mom, who had left in the middle of the night. Some mom she is. I also figured out that she used a taxi – which is unfair, because if I'm not aloud to use one, she shouldn't be aloud to use one either.

My dad seemed upset after she left, so I spent the whole Saturday with him (Samuel was a little attention deprived and angry because of it). Even if watching golf was a little boring, I did it anyways to make my dad happy.

Saturday night, Ino invited me over for a sleepover, and I cheated – I used a taxi to get there. My mom seemed to have disappeared again, so it's not like I would get in trouble. And instead of having Ino drive me home on Sunday, I took a taxi again, just to make a statement.

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Monday was weird, because when I got to school, Naruto didn't meet me at my locker. And I didn't see him in the hallways either.

I then figured out he stayed home sick, because he called me on my cell phone at lunch. His voice was very stuffed up, and he told me that he probably got sick because of the soccer practice in the rain. I told him he to get better soon, and then I said my goodbyes really quickly because I was receiving a very disheartening stare from Hinata.

I had sat with my original group of friends that day, because Naruto wasn't there, and it felt like I hadn't talked to them in ages (though I could have done without Lee being Lee, and Choji eating my lunch, and the really sad vibes coming from Hinata…).

And getting back to Hinata, every time I tried to talk to her, she'd answer very shortly, and she basically avoided me. She would only answer if it was necessary, and wouldn't start any conversations. I knew she liked Naruto, but I never knew it would affect our relationship that way. If I knew she and I wouldn't be friendly to one another, than I never would have agreed on the date in the first place. I decided I would talk to her about it tomorrow – there is no point in losing a friend over a silly boy.

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You know what's strange? I felt like I could actually breathe. I mean, it had only been one day, but when Naruto isn't there, I don't feel like I'm pressured to behave like a normal person. Well, I do act like myself, but it seems I always have to act happy and stuff, because Naruto is a happy guy.

But you know who isn't very happy? Hinata.

She's always sad when I am around, and I even caught her acting normally when she didn't know I was there. I don't think she was faking the sadness, I think the idea of me being there is a constant reminder of her having no chance with Naruto. But I think otherwise. You know the saying, "opposites attract"? I think that it describes how Naruto and Hinata would be. I think that Naruto would be absolutely _engrossed_ by Hinata.

But it didn't go well when I tried to talk to her on Tuesday. She had excused herself to go to the washroom, and I decided to go with her, so we could talk more privately.

I started off saying "Hinata we need to talk." She replied by, "Really? I think otherwise," except she stuttered when she said it.

When I continued the conversation, she was really cold – and Hinata is the nicest person I know, she was never one to be mean. Well she wasn't mean; she was just really dry and uncooperative. I ended up getting frustrated and said the worst thing I could have said, and that was, "It's not my fault he likes me more than you – I mean he doesn't even know you exist."

I really didn't mean it, and I felt really bad afterwards. And now, we aren't even on speaking terms. Well, _I _try to speak, but she just ignores me.

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Oh my god. My mom came back on Wednesday, and for some insanely strange reason, she found out that I used a taxi. I don't know how, but she did, and I was in _so_ much trouble. Like, I bet the neighbors could hear us yelling. It was chaos.

And oh man, my dad, he tried to stand up for me, but things kind of lost control, and I was completely shut out. The argument was turned from me against my mom, to my dad against my mom. Then my mom got so angry, she pushed my dad – well it was kind of a half-punch half-push, and it looked like it hurt to, because he stumbled back a bit.

The push made my dad's anger completely fade. He just stopped and stared. Then they both glanced at me, because I had seen the whole thing – I was close to tears, because there arguments never got that bad. My dad then silently went up the stairs and I heard the door to his office slam. I soon followed, except I went to my room (where Samuel was hiding under the covers) – but I also slammed my door. I don't know what my mom did then, because she was very quiet. I did hear a door close upstairs somewhere, so I think she went to her room – even though it should be both of my parents' room.

That night, I really couldn't sleep. My mom stayed in the house though, I made sure because I checked to see if she was in her room when was taking Samuel down to the kitchen, because I forgot to feed him earlier that evening (he didn't eat anything though). And even though knowing that she hadn't disappeared is comforting, it still didn't help me get to sleep.

So I gathered my blanket and pillow, and went downstairs with Samuel sleepily following me to where my dad was sleeping on the couch. I set up a make-shift bed out of the love-seat cushions, and slept on the floor beside him. Though the floor isn't the most comfortable thing, I was still able to get to sleep.

In the morning when I was trying to feed Samuel and when he refused to eat anything, I looked at him – like really_ looked_ at him. I knew he was skinny, but I never really realized until now that he was thin to the extreme – like all skin and bones. And it made me frustrated because he wouldn't eat even though he was super unhealthy. Like, he almost looked _ugly_ that's how skinny he was. I mean, I thought only humans had these types of problems.

"Stupid cat," I said and tossed the uneaten can of cat food to the other side of the room and stormed off, angry (I had to come back and clean it up though because I knew my parents would get mad at me if I didn't).

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Sasuke POV

It had been six days since Sakura and Naruto had worked on their project at his house. That meant that it was Thursday and they had to come over again. Even though Naruto wasn't there, Sakura still had to come because their presentation was the next day.

For some reason, Sasuke didn't feel annoyed that she was coming – even though she did the weirdest things, she snooped (don't think he didn't know how the cologne spilled), and she rambled on forever. He was almost looking forward to her coming – but he told himself that the only reason he would be looking forward to paper towel girl, would be to fluster her – because he hadn't done that in a while.

And it also didn't annoy him that she had to get a ride with him to his house, because when she was in the car, it gave him a reason to kind of show off his driving.

As they got to his house and set up their work space in the library, he started to think of ways to fluster Sakura – and it had to be a big one, to make up for the past 12 days of non-flustering (……he wasn't counting the days…he just had a good memory…).

Just as an idea formed in his head, Sarah ran into the library in a pink ruffled bathing suit and an innocent look on her face.

"Mommy said I could have friends over today, but mommy and daddy aren't here right now and we want to go swimming. Can you be a life guard person please? I will love you for ever and ever!" she said, and turned on her 'cute' charm.

"It's going to rain." He stated and resumed working. But Sarah insisted.

"But it's not raining _now._ It's only really cloudy! And if it rains I promise, promise, _promise,_ that we'll go straight inside! I promise!" she pleaded.

Sasuke stayed silent, but flickered his eyes to Sakura. She had a smile on her face, though she continued writing out the presentation they were preparing. He then turned back to Sarah, and was about to speak, but the six-year old cut him off.

"Sakura can come too! You can work outside! Please? Mommy said I could," she begged, and even clasped her hands together in prayer form.

Sasuke stayed silent, thinking if he should go or not. He finally nodded because Sarah was already in her bathing suit and it was likely that her friends were too. Sarah 'hoorayed' and ran out of the library, where a couple seconds later, a bunch of 'hooraying' girls were heard.

Sasuke gathered the materials he needed and kind of waited for Sakura – 'kind of' meaning he took longer than usual to get ready so she wouldn't have to rush. He led Sakura outside to the backyard, and noticed that she was wide-eyed and agape as she looked around. He also noticed that Sarah and her friends were already standing at the water's edge with floaty toys and goggles on.

Sarah was in the midst of explaining the pool rules, and when she was finished, she looked over to Sasuke, who sat down in one of the patio chairs. Sasuke nodded, and Sarah prepared herself, then jumped into the pool – her band of friends quickly following.

Sakura seated herself across from Sasuke in another patio chair, so that there was a table between them where they could work. They were making a part for Naruto in the presentation when the temperature started to become cooler, and the wind stronger. Sasuke found himself staring at Sakura every time she shivered, all the while forming a fluster-plan in his head.

But their outside time was cut short when it started to rain. The two teenagers quickly gathered up their work once more while the smaller girls shrieked and quickly climbed out. When the whole group got inside, Sarah had asked Sasuke to make them all hot chocolate. Sasuke refused at first but after seeing the smaller girls' chattering teeth and after hearing Sakura's, "Oh look at them, they're freezing," he accepted, all the while rolling his eyes and sighing heavily. Besides, Sarah would only whine if he didn't make them anything.

Sarah and her friends ran up to her room while Sasuke and Sakura entered the kitchen. Sasuke was a little annoyed that Sakura had followed him (he was always annoyed whenever someone saw him doing something for Sarah), but it was his house and she probably didn't want to be left alone – also, she offered to help make the drinks.

The kitchen was large, though empty at the moment – the house staff were only on kitchen duty for breakfast lunch and dinner. There were a variety of appliances – all in stainless steel – and these included a large oven unit and a huge vertical door fridge and freezer. Sasuke noticed that Sakura's eyes went wide once again as she took in her surroundings.

As Sasuke put on and waited for the water to boil, he noticed that Sakura had become more confident. It was probably because he hadn't flustered her in a long time and she was starting to feel more comfortable. But Sasuke didn't like that – he wanted to see her blush and to hear her ramble because it was just _that_ amusing. And taking in her position – which was leaning against the freezer door, he finally got an idea on how to fluster her – big time.

"Drink?" he gauchely asked, breaking the silence that was probably awkward for Sakura.

"Um, no I'm fine," she answered blushing, and a little confused that Sasuke was asking to do something for her.

"Hn," Sasuke grunted as he walked over to the fridge, which was right beside the freezer.

Sakura seemed to freeze the moment he got within a foot of her, and her blush became heavier. Sasuke suppressed a smirk as he opened the fridge door, brought out the tomato juice, and set it on the counter beside the large appliance, and then closed the door – but he didn't remove his hands from the juice or the door handle. This caused him to be in a position where he was standing right in front of Sakura – only inches away – and with a hand on either side of her.

Sakura's reaction was immediate. Her face went the reddest he had seen so far, and her rambling turned on instantly.

"Okay, maybe I'll have something to drink, I mean maybe not tomato juice because I don't like tomato juice, not that tomato juice is bad or anything, I meant no offense in that, I'm sorry if I did, but water is fine for me, I don't need anything fancy, I could get the cup myself – actually I don't know where the cups are, do you? Well of course you do, it's your house and…" though her speech kept speeding up and her rambling kept on going, Sasuke ignored it.

Instead, his eyes flickered from her eyes to her mouth, and then back again. And as he leaned in closer, her rambling got even faster. Sasuke let this smirk show, which only made her blush harder, and in the couple of seconds between his smirk and when his lips finally touched hers, her rambling went into hyper speed – though when they made contact, he effectively silenced her.

Sakura's eyes fluttered shut, though Sasuke kept his open. His mouth started to move against hers, and after some hesitation she responded almost eagerly though her hands stayed pressed against her own chest. He could feel her trembling as the kiss continued, and he wondered if adding tongue would make her hyperventilate. For the third time in a minute – a new record – Sasuke smirked, except this time against her mouth.

The whistle of the kettle brought them both back to reality – Sasuke's fluster plan did more than he expected.

He ended the kiss at the corner of her mouth, and then pushed away from the fridge to take care of the hot chocolate – leaving the flustered, blushing, embarrassed, still trembling Sakura to stay frozen in position by the fridge.

Carrying five mugs on a tray, he left the kitchen without a second look at Sakura, and found a staff member to bring the drinks to Sarah and her friends. After this, he went back to the kitchen to get his tomato juice, taking only a quick glance at the Sakura statue in front of his fridge, and made his way back to the library to continue with their presentation. Something nagged at him in the back of his mind though, when Sakura didn't return within in five minutes of the incident. The 'something' was telling him that he ruined a very easy-going, comfortable time for Sakura, and should feel guilty – but Sasuke ignored it like most times when the 'something' nagged at him.

Finally, after another minute, Sakura came back into the library and sat down beside him, still blushing. They worked silently after that, though Sasuke was still experiencing the tingle that spread throughout his whole body after he had kissed her.

And that was weird, because Sasuke had never felt that sort of tingle in such a miniscule act of kissing.

_K__issing_.

Just the thought of the word brought back images of what had just happened against his fridge – and those thoughts brought new ones; what would have happened, how far would they have gone if _no one_ _was in the house?_

But it was _paper towel girl_ so those thoughts were banished immediately when Sasuke realized the stupidity of them – and they were quickly followed by a swig of tomato juice to wash away any lingering ideas.

"I'm um, finished my part… uh, how… how about you?" Sakura asked nervously, resting her elbows on the table and turning her head to look at him.

Sasuke just stared at her, not saying anything. He actually wasn't finished with his part of the presentation, but he wasn't going to tell her that – not when she was only a couple of inches away from him. So instead of answering, just on this sudden impulse, he leaned down, and kissed her again.

Sakura was probably very confused at that point, and very unsure on whether to respond, or do nothing at all. But Sasuke slowly took one of his hands and held the back of her head, making it impossible for her to pull away. Tentatively, she started to respond, and this only urged the Uchiha further, as he took his other hand and placed it on her knee. Trembling hands gradually wrapped around Sasuke's neck, almost clinging to him, as the hand on her knee started to move upwards.

Sasuke knew he was losing control, but was too wrapped up in the kiss to care. But he did have enough self-restraint to stop his wandering hands – after all; this was only a plan to make Sakura flustered. Well, that's what he kept telling himself.

"Hey! You guys in the library?!" came the one and only voice of Naruto from the main hallway. Sakura immediately sprung away, though Sasuke was a little reluctant to do so.

The blonde entered the library with gusto, to see a very red Sakura and an annoyed looking Sasuke – except this didn't exactly register in his mind and he continued to speak, "I'm all better now- I came by to see if you needed any help, 'cause our presentation is soon and all." The other two teenagers in the room still didn't speak, but Naruto didn't notice. Instead, he walked over to Sakura and leaned down to give her a quick kiss. At first, Sakura turned her head away, unsure as she glanced at Sasuke.

Sasuke only stared back at her – his face stoic, showing no hints of his thoughts whatsoever.

"Hey, I'm all better," Naruto said, confused that his girlfriend pulled away from him, "I'm not contagious anymore, I swear."

Sakura faked assurance and replied, "Okay," as Naruto leaned down again, and this time they really kissed, so Sakura seemed unsure of herself.

"Hey Sakura," the blonde started after he pulled away, "since when did you start eating tomatoes?"


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 23

**Chapter 10**

Sakura's POV

"Hey Sakura," the blonde started, "since when did you start eating tomatoes?"

I couldn't move and I couldn't speak. My brain was totally malfunctioning – I couldn't process what had just happened in the past minute. Naruto is my boyfriend, and I definitely just made out with his best friend – but you know what? It was _so_ much better than any time with Naruto. Except I felt _super_ guilty and _super _stupid – as Sarah would say, I was _such_ a stupid-head. I don't even know what happened there – everything went by so fast, I felt as if I didn't have control over anything my body did, and that made me very distressed. I could feel the heat on my cheeks and the sting in my eyes that were the signs of crying – and I knew that at any moment I could burst into tears.

Only when I felt a very acute pain on my knee did I snap out of my shock. Slowly, still not sure of myself, I looked down to my knee. Sasuke's hand was still there. '_Act Normal' _it reminded me. But I couldn't act normal – and it wasn't just because I had _cheated_, but it was also that I felt so confused; I didn't know what to do.

If I didn't get out of there soon, they would both witness me crying, which would embarrass me again in front of Sasuke and create a whole other situation with Naruto.

Pressing my palms against my eyes I stuttered out, "I, I really don't feel well, I think, um… I've got to go." And with haste I stood up, grabbed all of my belongings and hurried out of the library to the front door – taking one last look at the indifference on Sasuke's face and the confusion on Naruto's.

I had almost made it to the door when Mr. Carter stopped me. He's home now? When did he get in? Was I to caught up in Sasuke to notice?

"Sakura, I was just about to look for you. Do you think you can babysit Sarah for me on Saturday?" he asked.

"Um, yes," I answered hurriedly, saying anything that would get me out of the house faster. But as I turned to leave again, he continued speaking.

"That's great; could you be here at around 7 pm?"

"Um, I don't have a car at the moment…" I answered, and fidgeted because I really just wanted to dash out the door and ignore everything Mr. Carter was saying – I didn't though because that would be rude and they do pay _very _well. But I couldn't stop that feeling balled up in my throat that told me I was about to cry.

"No problem, I'm sure Marie or myself or even Sasuke could pick you up before you go- but then, how are you getting home now?" Mr. Carter replied.

"Oh, I'll walk. It's- it's fine, really," I tried to convince him, but he was oblivious to my emotional state.

"Nonsense, it's still raining – I'll drive you – or here, Sasuke can drive you home."

Oh please, no.

"Sasuke," he called into the library.

Oh no no no no no.

Sasuke came walking out of the library soon after and Mr. Carter organized me being driven home with him. Sasuke didn't say anything but nodded, all the while his passive eyes were glued to me.

Mr. Carter took his leave and Sasuke walked out the door without warning.

I followed, trying to hold back my tears.

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Sasuke's POV

The whole drive home, Sakura's head was facing the window, and her whole body was placed as far away from Sasuke as possible. She had sat at the edge of the passenger seat, with most of her body pressed up against the door.

Sasuke didn't comment, though inside, he was contemplating on whether or not he should apologize. But this took a large internal battle, because Sasuke _never_ apologizes _ever –_ except maybe for Sarah.

And he didn't know why this was so different from the many other times he had humiliated someone. It had never happened that he had felt _guilty_ or _sorry._ It frustrated him why he couldn't figure this out, because it was just _paper towel _girl. But then again, maybe _because_ it was paper towel girl that his reaction was so different. And maybe because he hadn't just humiliated her but had stabbed his – how he hated to admit it – his best friend in the back.

And maybe it was the fact that he wanted to do it again – which was also confusing him– gave him a reason for his reaction to be justified.

And then, with her face still turned towards the window, Sakura let out a very soft sniffle, which caught a flicker of his eyes. Her hand went to rub her eye, and she quickly glanced toward him and then away. It was then that Sasuke realized that she was trying not to cry. Or maybe she already was.

But he had no idea what to do if she actually was crying. Because there were the wimpy, whiney fangirl cries that he could ignore, there were Sarah's childish cries that he could fix, but this, this was totally different – plus, it was in his passenger's seat. So he kept on driving, only thinking, 'what the fuck?'

Because he didn't embarrass her that much, did he?

He didn't make her that upset, did he?

Did he?

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It was a relief to see Sakura's house coming towards them. He signed up to drive her home, not to listen to the Sakura-sniffles-soundtrack.

He pulled to a stop in front of her driveway and watched as she didn't get out, but instead sat and stared at her lap, her hands wringing the hem of her shirt. In return he impatiently tapped his fingers quietly against the steering wheel. She then looked at him – well not exactly at him because her eyes were a little unfocused – and her body started to shift to the left – shift towards him.

It was a little degrading for Sasuke to admit that he started to lean towards her as well, and it was even more degrading that he had to admit he was expecting some sort of continuation from what was interrupted in the library.

But that's not what happened, which is why it made the situation so degrading. Sakura hadn't even gotten close to his face before she hastily undid her seatbelt and opened the door with shaking hands.

She cleared her throat and quietly sniffled out a "Sorry," before shutting the car door and running into her house.

_Sorry?_

He'd rather make-out than receive an apology at that moment.

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Sakura POV

I tried. I really, really tried to not cry. Like, it took so much effort to even hold it in for that long. But some of it came out – not the whole ensemble with the tears and the sobbing, but the pre-show. And it was really humiliating, because not only was it in front of someone, but that someone was _Sasuke_ of all people, and we were both trapped driving in his car with no way to avoid it.

And what impetuous outside force caused me to shift towards Sasuke? I mean, sure, who wouldn't want to make out with tall, dark, and handsome – but wasn't that the reason why I was trying not to cry that whole time (even though I totally saw Sasuke leaning towards me as well)? So that's why I followed the original plan to scamper out of that car as soon as I could.

The real waterworks came when I finally got into my house. I ran up to my room and shut the door and cried really pathetically. And then I cried because I was being such a baby for crying. And then I continued to cry because I realized that I really, really, _really_ wanted to kiss Sasuke a whole lot more but Naruto had interrupted it.

And it took a whole night of crying and a whole night of Samuel trying to calm me down with licks and purrs to somewhat get over the situation that happened earlier.

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On Friday, Naruto came back to school, asking if I was okay, and inviting me to sit with him again at lunch. I only agreed because Hinata was still giving me the silent treatment – but I made sure to stay as far away from Sasuke as possible. Far, far away.

On Saturday I had completely forgotten that I had to babysit Sarah – and it was a good thing Mrs. Carter came to pick me up, or I would have never gone.

On the way to their house, Mrs. Carter explained that Sarah was sick and probably caught it from Naruto, so instead of playing around, we could watch movies in the master bedroom – where Sarah always stayed when she was sick.

After Mr. and Mrs. Carter lead to me their bedroom, they left me with Sarah.

The room was HUGE. It was basically the size of the second floor of my house. And the things inside of it – you'd think you had walked onto a movie set – a very tasteful movie set, mind you. Looking miniscule in the massive bed that she resided in was Sarah. Her face was pale, she wasn't super hyper, and unfortunately, there was a bucket near the bed showing me just how sick Sarah had been.

As the night passed, I had kindly asked some of the house staff to get some soup or cold cloths or an emptying of the bucket (they better pay me well), and Sarah and I just relaxed and watched movies. One of which was the whole Swan Princess series – we had sang along to the songs, but that just made Sarah even more nauseous, so we settled for watching them in silence.

Nearing the end of the night, I started to get a bit of a headache, and worried that I might have caught what Sarah had – but then I had a glass of water and I told myself that I was fine.

Regrettably, it was Sasuke who came home first. One of the house staff came and informed me that he had arrived and that he told them to notify me that I had to go downstairs to be driven home. I really didn't want to be anywhere near Sasuke, not yet – I was still embarrassed from the last time I was at his place.

I started flushing before I even got down the stairs, and my whole body seemed to be on fire when I saw him waiting by the front door.

He didn't even wait for me to get my stuff; he just walked out the door and into his car. Outside, the rain had stopped momentarily, but there were no stars or moon, so the sky was probably still overcast.

When I got into the car I had sat at the far edge of the seat again and avoided all eye contact – sitting in the passenger seat of the Maserati Diablo reminded me all too well of what had happened only a couple days ago, which was still really embarrassing. I had to inconspicuously fan myself with my hand too, because I was still burning. I felt the car's temperature drop a little, and I'm not sure if Sasuke had seen me and turned on the air conditioning, or if my fanning was actually working. But it still wasn't enough to cool me down, so I pressed my forehead against the window. The glass seemed freezing compared to my body temperature, and I was so confused on why I was acting so strangely.

But then everything came together. My body wasn't on fire, I wasn't completely flustered, and it wasn't Sasuke that had caused all of this (well, some of it).

A wave of nausea hit me and I frantically yelled, "Stop the car!"

Sasuke's eyes widened a fraction at the outburst and he quickly pulled over to the side of the road. My hands scrambled for the door handle and I opened it just in time.

It turns out I _had_ caught Sarah's illness while I was babysitting her.

I had walked a few steps and held my hair back with one hand before throwing up all over the ground.

Sasuke had gotten out of the car just in time to see it too – this definitely goes near the top of my 'most embarrassing moments' list, and probably at the top of Sasuke's 'most awkward moments' list – right beside the whole me-crying-in-his-car thing.

I had thrown up twice there, and all Sasuke had done was stand where he had pulled over – though he did run a hand through his hair and say 'shit'. And he was also a little reluctant to let be back in the car after – but he only showed that with his eyes and the grimace he placed on his face.

He had driven very slowly the rest of the way to my place, and had to stop two more times for me to bring up the contents of my stomach (I'm sure he enjoyed that). The second time he had gotten out of the car again and the third time he just sat in his seat, probably very grossed out. I completely restricted my body to not cry though, because I would not do that again in front of him, especially since I was already throwing up in his presence.

As I recall the memory I think I heard Sasuke mumble 'you okay?', followed by an incoherent groan from me. My knees were very shaky by then and I had become really delirious and was practically falling asleep in the passenger seat at that time.

The trouble is, I'm not quite sure what happened next, but I somehow got to my room.

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Sasuke POV

Sasuke had pulled into the driveway of the Haruno house and waited for the girl in the seat beside him to get out. When she didn't, he looked over to see her eyes half-lidded and her body limp in the seat.

"Sakura." He said, trying to wake her up, though she wasn't exactly asleep. Sakura's head turned a little and she groaned at the sound of her name, but she didn't make any move of getting up.

"Sakura," he repeated, and when she didn't do anything _again_, he breathed out a 'fuck' before getting out of the car and walking over to the passenger side. He opened the car door and gave her a little nudge with his hand to see for sure that he actually had to help her out. He breathed out another 'fuck' when she still didn't do anything.

He took a step away from the car and ran a hand through his hair as he looked down at the half-asleep Sakura in the passenger seat. To think he was contemplating kissing her again before she decided to throw up.

He gave her one last nudge to the side as confirmation. She didn't respond. First her breakdown in his car two days earlier, and now this.

"Fuck."

At least she was unconscious this time.

After taking off her seat belt, he wedged his arms underneath her legs and behind her back. He heaved her up with a grunt – it wasn't that she was heavy, actually she was surprisingly light – it was just that he was used to carrying a six-year old, not someone 11 years older.

When Sakura was secured in his arms, he started to walk towards the front door. Her head lulled and rested upon his chest as a couple of incoherent words escaped her mouth – one of which was 'Naruto' and he unconsciously clenched his jaw.

When he reached the porch, he slid her down so that she had her feet on the ground, but her weight was still resting on him. He rang the doorbell by shifting her to one side so one hand was free. Sasuke's body tensed when her hand came up to clutch his shirt and her head turned to _snuggle _(yes, snuggle) in the space where his neck met his shoulder. She also inhaled through her nose at that particular junction. He glanced down at the still delirious girl in his arms and finally let his body relax and loosened his hold on her, so that she was now leaning into him.

When a minute passed since he had rang the doorbell, he concluded that nobody was home. That meant he needed a key to get in (he could break in, but he didn't know if there was an alarm or not).

He checked one-handed and very awkwardly in her purse, but found nothing. Letting the bag drop to the ground, and knowing there really was no other place she could hold her key, his hand slowly started sliding down to see if there was any key in her pockets. And though he had felt up lots of girls before, he felt a little awkward doing this to Sakura.

But just as his hand reached her back pocket, he heard movement behind the door. He froze when it opened to reveal a woman who resembled the one in his arms. Her expression turned suspicious when she saw his hand on her daughter's bottom. Sasuke quickly moved it so it was wrapped around Sakura's waist again.

When the woman (who Sasuke assumed was her mother) didn't speak, he decided to explain.

"She was babysitting my sister. I drove her home; she got sick and fell asleep." He said lazily trying to make it seem like it wasn't a big deal. He then shifted Sakura's dead weight to his other arm to make his statement clear.

Her mother stared at him speculatively before hesitating (probably figuring out what to do with her daughter), and opening the door wider and letting him in, she said bitterly, "Thank you, you can bring her up to her room now." She then stepped back and let Sasuke pick up Sakura again, and move into the house.

He followed the woman up the stairs to a very pink and green room.

He made another assumption that this was her room, and laid her down on her bed before silently leaving. He would have taken in his full surroundings if it weren't for the woman who was still looking at him suspiciously- it wasn't that she was intimidating, she just looked like a bitch.

And Sasuke made a point of avoiding bitches if he wasn't going to screw them.

There was also this skinny thing that kind of resembled a cat – it hissed at him.

When he got back to the safety of his own house, he went straight to the master bedroom to where Sarah still was. He silently sat down beside her and stayed there until she fell asleep.

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Sakura POV

My whole Sunday was spent in my room watching movies, eating lightly, sleeping, thinking back on how embarrassing it was for me (and awkward for Sasuke) in the car last night, and throwing up. It wasn't very exciting, but I did manage to get something productive done: my super genius plan.

Okay, the basics of my super genius plan require a high level degree of superness and a brain filled of genius. The plan is also codenamed 'NARUHINA' which kind of gives away the whole idea but I'm going to explain it anyways.

My theory is that Naruto and Hinata should get together. This will benefit all three of us: Naruto because he has tunnel vision, Hinata because she is too shy to do anything about it, and me times two – first being my friendship with Hinata will be back to normal if not better, and second being (even though it sounds a little bad) I will have Naruto off my hands (and my mouth).

I'm not quite sure how I'll do this, because my super genius plan is still in progress – but I do know I will try and make it a win-win (-win) situation. And the chances for everybody being happy in the end are pretty high too, because I think Naruto and Hinata would make a very cute couple, and I think Naruto and I could become very good friends.

So, now that I've had my revelation, I can get rid of this illness in peace.

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I stayed home in the morning on Monday, but I had my science presentation in the afternoon, so I went to school then. I think the illness I got was the one-day flu or something, because a lot of people were away in science, so there were only five presentations instead of nine. Our group didn't do very well, considering I was sick, Naruto is not very bright, and Sasuke barely talks (and when he does, it's monotone).

Naruto again forgot his part, Sasuke did okay, but I screwed up the most. It was because I saw a bunch of girls in the corner of the room and they were all giggling and batting their eyelashes to a certain Uchiha. I got this funny feeling exactly when it was my turn and when I saw them – it made me choke on my lines.

I lost my place and it literally took me a whole minute to remember my lines and start again. Mr. Kakashi excused it because I had been sick earlier that day, but he also winked at me and had a knowing look on his face. I wasn't sure if it was supposed to be a Kakashi-knows-all sort of gesture, or one that was from his porno book – so I pretended I didn't see it.

Tuesday passed by very quickly, I hardly remember it at all except for lunch time. I still wasn't completely back to myself around Sasuke since I made out with him, cried in front of him, and threw up in front of him, so I was kind of paranoid (who wouldn't be if they went through what I went through). But when the Uchiha didn't try or do anything towards me, I relaxed a little. So nothing really interesting happened that day.

It was Wednesday at Sasuke's house that something interesting happened. The rain kept on pouring for the third week in a row, and I think it was nearing its end, because it started to thunderstorm. And a particularly huge one decided to happen in the middle of the time I was at Sasuke's.

So we were all in the library, and I was sitting next to Naruto and across from Sasuke. Sarah was sitting next to Sasuke and colouring contentedly – Sarah was sensitive to thunder and lightening, and if you remember the time I met them at Starbucks, she had explained how she stayed with Sasuke during them.

The whole time I was there, the lights were constantly flickering from the storm outside, and Sarah would sometimes whine and cling to Sasuke's arm. And when the lights went out for a long time, she had started crying, but only a little. I had moved my chair beside her when she started calling my name and it took a lot of effort, because it is very hard to maneuver yourself and a chair in complete darkness. When I finally found her, she held onto my hand like a lifeline, and I tried to soothe her.

When things had quieted down, though the lights still hadn't turned on, I felt a presence near me – like really close to me. I didn't move from where I was then, but when I felt breath on my face, I flinched backwards. The presence didn't return after that, and I couldn't figure out who it was either – unless I was imagining it, but I was _sure_ it was there.

When the lights finally flickered back on, I tried to guess who the presence was. It couldn't have been Naruto because he was across the table and he looked like he was asleep- I had to nudge him with my foot to get his attention. That left Sarah and Sasuke, but Sarah was curled up in a ball in her chair. That meant it could have been Sasuke though another explanation could have been that Naruto or Sarah were tricking me. I hoped it was the latter, but somehow, I secretly wished it was the former.

What I also noticed when the lights turned on, was that Sarah was holding Sasuke's hand, and though he wasn't gripping back, I saw his thumb inconspicuously rubbing tiny circles one the back of it. It made me think back to the science presentation on Monday. I wanted to randomly yell at the flirting girls that they didn't even know Sasuke – and though I didn't really either, I witnessed more than they had; and Wednesday was a perfect example of that.

Oh, and as I was leaving the Carter house, I _swear_ I saw Sasuke looking at my butt. I think it was because I was wearing a pair of skinny jeans, and he might have noticed my house key's imprint in the back pocket- which probably looked really weird. I'm not sure why, but it made me really giddy for the rest of the evening, even though I should have been embarrassed.

Thursday morning, Ino decided to invite a bunch of people to a sleepover the next day, so she asked me, Hinata and a couple of other girls to come. Though I didn't really want to be near Hinata, it gave me a great opportunity to finally talk to her and maybe put my super genius plan into action. Ino didn't get to invite all the people she wanted to come though, because in the afternoon there was another blackout and we all got to go home early.

On Friday, I finally got to put my super genius plan into action – it worked so much more perfectly than I expected.

The beginning was rocky though, because Hinata and I weren't talking and it made a couple of the conversations awkward. But when the other girls decided to play 'truth or dare' Hinata sat out, and I nonchalantly joined her.

She completely ignored my presence at first and had made an excuse to move all the way to the other side of the room. I followed her though, and insisted I talked to her.

I had apologized for everything I said and told her that our friendship was much more important than some boy. She had only nodded and listened – which was a good start, though her body was angled away from me.

"He's not even that great of a boyfriend," I said when she still continued to be silent. I then tried to go for the humor approach because the serious talk wasn't quite working.

"Do you know he says the stupidest things and they don't even make sense? And most of the time, the jokes he makes I don't even understand?" I told her lightly, trying to make it into a joke. I saw her shoulders shake a little – so the humor approach _was_ working.

"And he eats _so_ messily, it reminds me of a four-year old," I continued, and though she still didn't face me, I saw her shoulders shake even more.

"And when he plays videogames, he sticks out his tongue and yells constantly at the TV – and no matter how many times he tries, he can never beat Sasuke," I felt myself flush when I mentioned Sasuke's name, and that's when I realized that I_ liked_ Sasuke – maybe not as a crush, but as a friend… or maybe a crush/friend; even if I'm constantly embarrassed by him, even if I think he is the hottest man alive and even if he makes me feel uncomfortable sometimes. But then I realized that this feeling could also be the kind of obsession I have with him…

When I was about to continue with my Naruto-bashing, I noticed that Hinata wasn't laughing. She was crying. Hard.

I immediately felt bad for saying all of those things about Naruto – she probably thought that I was just throwing it in her face. But then I wondered why she cared so much, because it was only a crush, right?

"It's not like you're in love with him," I said casually, but then she started bawling so hard that it made me realize how wrong I had been about the whole situation.

"You're in love with him!?" I whispered frantically. How could she be in love with him?! She doesn't even talk to him! But then, if I can become completely obsessed with a stranger on the first day of seeing him (Sasuke), it was possible for her to love someone within two years of kind-of-knowing him (Naruto).

"Hinata," I said softly, and then I decided to hug her. It was a real relief that she didn't shake me off, but that was probably because she was trying to hide her face with her hands.

"You know what? I don't even like him – as a boyfriend I mean. Maybe as a friend," I said, hoping to make her feel better. That was when found out a way to use my super genius plan.

"I know!" I said suddenly, and this made not only Hinata's head turn, but everyone else in the room's head turn. I continued anyway, because this part wouldn't embarrass Hinata that much.

"Why don't _you_ and _Naruto_ go out?" I asked – and it kind of sounded like I was talking to a two-year old.

Hinata looked shocked. "B-but your g-g-going out with h-him," she sniffed.

Woot! She finally talked to me – even if it wasn't the greatest sentence ever.

"Yeah, well, I don't really like him that much, but _you two_ would make a _great_ couple," I said with the talking-to-a-two-year-old voice.

Hinata was speechless at first then said, still shocked, "Y-you think?"

I smiled really friendly-like and nodded. Wow, this must look really cheesy – but really, that's the way Hinata worked.

"B-but h-how?" she asked, and by this time all of the other girls had come over to listen.

"Well, I could call Naruto… and organize a date… then we 'accidentally' meet up with you! How about that?" I asked, and then ran over to my bag to get my cell phone – I guess I got myself way to excited.

Hinata looked a little overwhelmed, "A-are you s-sure? B-becau-"

"Yeah! I'm gonna call right now! He's probably still awake," I exclaimed, and started dialing his cell phone number.

"S-sakura! N-not now!" Hinata said worriedly, but all the other girls, especially Ino, were urging me on and giggling.

"Hey Naruto! It's Sakura," I said into the phone when he picked up. I motioned to all the other girls to be quiet, and then I put my cell on speaker-phone.

"Oh, hey Sakura!" he answered," What's up?"

I had to make calming down gestures with my hands before I answered because all the girls started giggling again. "Um, I was just wondering if you wanted to go out tomorrow – like we could meet at Starbucks or something," I answered.

"Okay! Should I pick you up?" He asked.

"No that's fine, how about I meet you there?" I asked, and then looked at Hinata who was biting her lip and staring at the phone in my hand with wide eyes.

"Sure, uh… what time?"

"Um, how about 11:00? And the Starbucks at the mall, that one's bigger." I replied.

"Okay! I'll see you then?" he said.

"Yeah, see you tomorrow, bye," I said and once he said his goodbye too, I hung up.

The room burst into giggles and everyone was all over Hinata. She looked so embarrassed that I wanted to cut in, but there was no way to stop them – especially Ino.

But I was so happy when we all settled down and decided to go to sleep after a couple of movies, because Hinata decided to put her sleeping bag and stuff beside me. I'm guessing that meant we were friends again.

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The super genius plan is _actually_ super and genius – it worked out even more perfect than the night before.

I had Hinata drive us both to Starbucks at 10:50, except she went inside and I waited outside for Naruto. When he finally came, we went inside together and ordered our drinks.

When we received our orders, I casually searched for a table and said, "Oh, look! It's my friend Hinata, we should go sit with her," except this was also in my talking-to-a-two-year-old voice. Naruto seemed a little unsure because he spotted an empty table, but I dragged him over by the wrist, urging him with a 'come on!'

Overall, Naruto was absolutely intrigued with Hinata. He would ask her questions or I would start a conversation – and when ever they were directed towards Hinata, she would blush furiously. Then Naruto would be like, 'Hinata? Why are you blushing?' or 'Are you okay?' And then, after a half hour of talking, Naruto felt the need to make one of his jokes – the ones that didn't make any sense at all.

I knew Hinata didn't really understand them either, but I guess she thought they were cute (while I thought them annoying), so she would cover her mouth with her hand and giggle. But Naruto was determined to make her laugh, not giggle, so he told even more jokes, and the rest of the time he was focused on Hinata – and I didn't even feel left out – I watched the whole scene play out while mentally applauding my extreme cupid skills.

The Starbucks people got a little mad at us and kind of kicked us out because we had been 'loitering' as they called it, for over an hour. We said our goodbyes to Hinata, and after she left, Naruto offered to drive me home. I agreed, and during the car ride, he asked me more about Hinata.

"So, how do you know her?" He asked, and I was a little confused, because I sit with her at lunch everyday and her locker is near mine so he must have seen her at least _once_.

"Um, I eat lunch with her when I'm not with you," I answered hesitantly.

"Oh, so she goes to our school?" he said, and I swear there was one of those anime-sweat-drop things on my head – how could he not know if she goes to our school?

"Uh, yeah, her locker is practically next to mine…" I replied again, hesitantly.

"Awesome, you should have her come and eat lunch with us; she's pretty cool." And I smiled when he said that – because my plan was working perfectly.

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Sasuke's POV

It was Sunday night and it seemed to be the final stretch of rain, because the lightening and thunder came harder than ever. Sarah had taken refugee in Sasuke's bed, where the Uchiha also resided.

Sasuke was lying on his side with his bare back turned to Sarah, who was huddled up in blankets and tracing his tattoos with her small fingers (she was probably the only person of the opposite gender to actually be allowed to touch them). Sasuke was silent, but Sarah was humming one of her songs.

"Sasuke?" she asked suddenly, still tracing the tattoos, "Do you like girls?"

Sasuke was a little confused by this question, but answered with a "Hn."

"Because you never have any girls over," she continued, "Except for Sakura…"

"Hn…"

"Do you like Sakura?"

"…Hn." Was all Sasuke said. In truth, he wasn't really listening – he spent all of Sunday either in the gym, or working on his car – and right now he just wanted to sleep.

"Is that a yes or a no?" Sarah asked, and when Sasuke didn't answer, she sat up. "Sasuke?" she said in a whispered tone, "Are you sleeping?"

Sasuke wasn't sleeping, but had stayed silent, hoping that Sarah would stop talking. But it didn't work, and Sarah was persistent.

A grunt escaped his lips when she climbed on his side, trying to get a look at his face.

"Sasuke?" She asked, knowing that he was awake now.

Sasuke didn't reply, but he rolled onto his back so that Sarah was now sitting on his stomach.

"Do you like Sakura?" she asked again, "Because Sarah saw something."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow at this, and Sarah's nightlight – which she insisted she had to have in his room – made it easy for her to see the gesture.

"Sarah saw something when she went down to see if Sasuke was ready with the hot chocolate. And Sarah is a really good spy so Sasuke didn't see her. And then Sarah saw Sakura by the fridge and then Sarah saw Sasuke _kiss_ Sakura." Sarah explained. "And mommy said that when you kiss someone, it means you like them, but not just like them – you _like_ them like them – like in the Little Mermaid or Cinderella."

Sasuke still didn't say anything, but wondered how a six-year old could be so observant ad inquisitive.

Then, for the third time, Sarah asked, "So, does Sasuke like Sakura?"

Sasuke rolled over to his side, making Sarah fall down in front of him with an 'oof.' Couldn't she just leave him to sleep?

"Sasuke? Do you like her?"

"Hn."

"Do you?"

"Hn."

"_Sasuke_."

"Hn."

"But I don't know what that means!"

"Hn."

"Do you like Sakura?"

"Hn."

"I want to know!"

"Hn."

"But Sasuke!"

"Hn."

"I'm going to be sad now."

"I don't care."

"Sasuke!"

"Hn."

"Please?"

"Hn."

"Sasuke! Stop being a stupid-head! Do you lik-" But Sarah was cut off by an unusually loud blast of thunder, where she whimpered, and then curled up into Sasuke's chest.

"S-Sasuke?" she whined, and looked up at him while unconsciously working her puppy-dog eyes.

"…Sure." And there was a tiny bit of truth to that statement.

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Sakura's POV

Monday was Thanksgiving, so we got another day off of school. Usually our family goes to one of the piers by the ocean to have a Thanksgiving lunch, but since it was still raining, we had it indoors- and it was very awkward, because the conversations that passed between the three of us were based around me – and my parents didn't converse to each other at all.

What was good though was that the weather man said that today was probably going to be the end of the rain, and tomorrow the skies would clear up. I was happy about this – because it had rained for over three weeks and I was dying to see the sun and go to the beach.

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The weather man was right! When I woke up Tuesday morning, there was actual sunlight shining through my window! I could have jumped around and done a little victory dance, except I had glanced at my clock and realized I would be late if I didn't get ready soon.

At school, everyone seemed to be happy that the sun was out, and people were already planning to go to the beach – the only problem was that there were puddles EVERYWHERE. The ground was so wet and the puddles were so deep it took forever to get to school – the streets were practically flooded. And that meant we also couldn't go to the beach until the water had evaporated, or else the sand would be all wet.

That Tuesday, I sat with my original group of friends at lunch, because I was happy that Hinata and I were a-okay. And ever since Naruto and I 'met' Hinata at Starbucks, Naruto hasn't been kissing me publicly – especially around Hinata. For example, when he came to pick me up so we could go to Sasuke's to work after school, he only kissed me on the cheek, and he didn't even hold my hand. If I were a normal person in a normal situation, I would be getting worried that my boyfriend doesn't like me anymore, but since it's the exact opposite, I'm happy that he doesn't like me anymore – and it's better that way.

The whole time I was at Sasuke's house, Sarah was running around us and giggling – the true reason was unknown to me, but I suspected it was because every time Sasuke looked at me, I would blush. And I didn't really know why I was blushing so much either – because he wasn't doing anything purposeful to fluster me.

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Sasuke POV

Someone had spontaneously decided to throw a party that night to celebrate the ending of the three weeks of rain, and of course, Sasuke and Naruto were going. Naruto was hitching a ride with Sasuke to the party, so they took Sasuke's car when dropping off Sakura – Naruto had asked her to join them, but she declined.

On the way to the Haruno house Naruto, who was in the back seat, decided to tell one of his extremely long, boring, pointless stories, and Sasuke was getting _very_ annoyed. And when Naruto finished that story, he started _another_ one – and it was at a red light that Sasuke let his head drop to the steering wheel out of frustration, forgetting the presence of Sakura who was in the passenger seat. She let out a giggle, but quickly muffled it when Sasuke sat back up and glared at her. She then became extremely red and stayed completely silent for the rest of the ride.

"Wah!" Sakura shrieked when she underestimated the depth of a puddle. Sasuke had made it to her place, and she was about to get out of the car when her foot sunk all the way to her ankle. She lifted it out and winced at her soaked shoes, then turned to Sasuke, "Um, the puddle is really big, and I, um, can't get out."

Sasuke just stared at her, making her go completely red.

"Way to drive right into it Sasuke, the puddle's huge!" exclaimed Naruto, looking out the car window like a four-year old – his face pressed up against the glass.

"Can you, um, maybe move the car somewhere else?" Sakura asked timidly.

The fluster alert rang in Sasuke's mind, so instead of moving the car, but only about a foot – where there was still a large expanse of puddle surrounding the car. He then turned his stare forwards, and did nothing.

"Um…" Sakura started, a little confused.

"Hey! There's no water on this side! Sakura, maybe you can get out on this door!" Naruto exclaimed from the opposite part of the car.

"Um, I can't, Sasuke's there…" She trailed off and turned a deep crimson.

"Oh. Well Sasuke can get out or you can climb or something," Naruto stupidly suggested, unknowingly putting Sasuke's fluster plan into action.

"Uh… Sasuke?" Sakura asked, in hopes that he would get out of the car.

But that wouldn't make Sasuke's plan work, so all he did was look pointedly at Sakura, and then take his hands of the steering wheel and let them drop to his sides.

"You're not going to….. oh…" She looked around the car worriedly, and then out the window making sure there was no other possible way.

Sasuke looked at her again, a small amount of impatience in his gaze.

Sakura's eyes widened, and her face turned red. "Uhhh, I… uh, okay, I'll uh, try to… just it will… okay, hold on….I'm, uhhh…" Was the gist of what came out of her mouth after and during the time she was trying to climb over him. Naruto added to her rambling with 'Sasuke, stop being such a douche," and "Just get out of the car,"- all of which were ignored.

But Sasuke's plan backfired.

Sakura's hand slipped and for a fraction of a second, touched a certain area between his legs. Sakura turned so red, she looked like she would explode, and after hastily saying a very strangled, 'thank you' she slammed the car door and ran into her house. Sasuke, during that time, had felt himself go completely hard, and his shorts became tight. _What the fuck?!_ It was one sliver of a touch, and it got him to do _that?!_ And it was an accident even! _Paper towel girl, with one friggin, simple, accidental touch, got him hard._ _What the fuck?!_

Naruto, on the other hand, had missed this last part because he was busy trying to find a way around the puddle and into the front seat. He failed and ended up getting both of his shoes wet, and settled for the back seat again.

Sasuke stiffly and swiftly drove to the party with his hands gripping the steering wheel tightly, and sitting in a very uncomfortable position.

The moment they got there, Sasuke went straight for the shots, and after downing a couple, he grabbed the closest, willing girl and led her to a guest room.

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Sakura POV

On Wednesday, I brought Hinata along with me to eat with Naruto's group at lunch. Again, Naruto was fascinated with Hinata because of the reactions she made to everything. For example, when Naruto leaned in really close, her face would become super red and her stutter would intensify (I could see Neji twitching out of the corner of my eye – protective much?). Or when he told a joke that didn't really make sense, she'd be one of the only people's to laugh – but Hinata was also embarrassed to laugh and she'd muffle it with her hand, which made Naruto want her to laugh even more.

I also noticed that Naruto didn't swear around Hinata, it was as if he was handling her gently so she wouldn't break or something. Actually, most of the people where we ate didn't swear around Hinata – it was probably because Neji was there and they'd all get their asses kicked if they used any vulgarities. Overall though, lunch seemed to go well for Hinata and Naruto – but it was different for me.

Not only was I kind of left out of the conversations between Naruto and Hinata, but Sasuke wasn't there – and this randomly made me really gloomy (I also recall Gaara not being there…). It was weird how I wanted to be near him, but every time I am, I end up getting embarrassed and want to be as far away from him as possible. Ugh, all of these emotion thingies are so annoying.

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Sasuke POV

Sasuke was outside in the back field behind a dumpster, getting high with Gaara. Like the last time he got high during school hours, Sasuke had done this to relax – but unlike the last time, he wasn't angry.

"You…you and me Uchiha…" Gaara started, lazily turning his head toward Sasuke. In return, Sasuke stared back, except his intoxicated vision made it seem like the world was swimming.

"You and me. We got the…we got the same…" and as Gaara continued to clumsily speak, he leaned forward towards Sasuke. "We got the same…" And he maladroitly brought his hand that wasn't holding his joint up to his face. "Eyes." He said in an almost creepy whisper.

"Eyes?" Sasuke questioned back, smiling a little, because this idea didn't make any sense to him at all – even more so because he was high.

"You and I, Uchiha… we… are the same." He replied tilting his head back to look at the sky, which was seemingly displaying a wave of colours. Sasuke would have laughed if it wasn't for the fact that he didn't really like Gaara, and he almost fell over when he tilted his own head back.

"You and me Uchiha… you and me." Gaara recurred, and there was probably some sort of meaning or ways of finishing his theory, but again, they were intoxicated.

"You… and me…" Sasuke repeated, not to make a meaning of it, but just because of the way it sounded when he was high.

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Sakura POV

On Thursday (which was also December 1st), I organized another date with Naruto – and though we weren't meeting Hinata there, I was expecting this to be the last one between us.

He had taken me to Bennigans (a/n omg Bennigans is the shit), and over dinner I prompted him to speak about Hinata a little more – to inference if he actually liked her.

When I was sure he did I decided to put the super genius plan into action for the last time.

"Hinata is a very friendly person, but she can be very shy," I replied back to a question Naruto asked.

"Yeah, she always is stuttering – not that I mind it – but I think if I got to know her more than she would be a lot less nervous. Did that happen to you?" He asked, and I was really surprised at how analytical Naruto was when it came to Hinata.

"Yeah, she doesn't stutter as much around me but," I replied, and then I put on my talking-to-a-two-year-old voice, "You know what? You should go out with Hinata! Then you'd two get to know each other even better!"

"Really?... But, aren't we still kinda going out?" He said with a confused expression – but I could also see that he was trying to suppress a smile.

"We are, but we don't have to be. I mean, I know that Hinata really likes you," I started, but I was momentarily cut-off by Naruto's grin and 'really?!' "And we can just be friends, really good friends," I continued, and tried to make the whole idea sound like an amazing thing.

Well, Naruto fell for it – which is good – and he said, "Okay, I think I will ask her out, this is awesome," – which was very good.

So it was a mutual break-up between me and Naruto, and that meant I was free. But that also meant that when he was driving me back to my place, I gave him the whole Hinata tutorial.

"She doesn't like coffee and she's terrified of spiders – but if you see one you can't kill it or else she'll be sad. You have to scoop it up and let it free outside." I told him.

"And you have to be very gentle with her – she's very fragile, both emotionally and physically. And she gets embarrassed very easily, so no kissing-in-public stuff like we did." I saw Naruto actually blush at that, and then I continued, "She likes really traditional Japanese dishes like sushi and bento boxes, but she will mostly eat anything that she's given – she's not picky though she doesn't eat very much. And for dates you should pick things to do that involve only the two of you – so no big parties or get-togethers unless it's something like the beach – but other than that the best thing to do is to go to a restaurant or a movie. And for movies she doesn't like gory ones, but you don't have to see a chick-flicks or anything, any movie is fine as long as it's not scary and stuff. Oh, and her dad is really strict so don't be offended if you aren't allowed in her house, I mean I've never even seen Hinata's house myself."

I took a brief pause to breathe, but before I could continue, Naruto started speaking.

"Uh, thanks for the tips… but I'm pretty sure I can figure it out on my own – no offense or anything," He said, and gave a sheepish smile.

"I'm sorry, it's just that she is very sensitive and we just became friends again – did you know we had a fight over you?" I replied.

Naruto seemed benignly shocked but also amused at this, "You fought over me? Wow, I don't think anyone's fought over me before – it's mostly over my bastard of a friend."

I laughed a bit at that – Sasuke can be a bastard… a really good looking bastard… a really good looking, secretly nice ( --I think) bastard…

"So when are you going to ask her out?" I asked Naruto to try and get my mind off of a certain Mr. Gorgeous.

"I dunno, maybe tomorrow, I'm not really sure," He answered as he pulled up to my house.

"Well, as long as you're going to," I looked at him pointedly, but he leaned over, kissed my cheek, and said 'thanks.'

"You better be thankful mister. Goodnight," I said as I got out and shut the car door. I then ran up to my own house and awaited the parental drama that was most likely to happen.

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Nothing happened on Friday; Sasuke wasn't flustering me, Lee wasn't making everlasting vows, and Naruto didn't ask Hinata out – though he did make constant shifty glances towards her. I thought that was cute – he was nervous – the obnoxious loud Naruto was nervous, and though he wasn't nervous when he asked me out, I didn't really care.

On Saturday, I went to the beach with Ino and Hinata to celebrate the ending of the three weeks of rain- but apparently everyone else had the same idea. There was barely any space to lay out a towel, and if you managed to, then it most likely got completely covered in sand.

The three of us did manage to get a fairly big area to set our stuff up, but it was near the volley ball net so the ball constantly bounced our way. But this soon turned into a good thing for Ino because she so frequently had to pass the ball back to them that they asked her to join their game. Ino accepted eagerly – most of the players were boys, and that left Hinata and me to talk.

"Soooo…I broke up with Naruto on Thursday," I told her, trying to sound casual.

Hinata looked at me with wide eyes, "You did? W-was he sad?"

"No, it was a mutual agreement," I continued as I helped Hinata build a tiny sandcastle over her feet, "But he is going to ask you out – I made sure of it."

Hinata was speechless. She stared at me for a long time with a smile slowly growing on her lips. Then she suddenly jumped – ruining the sandcastle and threw her arms around me, "Thank you so m-much Sakura!"

The next day, Sunday, Ino and I took Hinata shopping for multiple outfits to possibly wear on the date that would be happening – kind of like what I did when Naruto first asked me out.

Hinata was very modest about what she wore, getting mostly T-shirts and capris – and only bought a tank top and short-shorts because Ino and I practically forced her too.

Because we finished shopping for Hinata earlier than we expected, we took to roaming around the mall. But when we came across EB games, I couldn't help myself.

"Hold on a minute guys, I just want to check something," I said before quickly dashing into the store. I searched the rows of Xbox games until I found the one I was searching for. Then after paying for it, I dashed back out to where Hinata and Ino were waiting.

"What did you get?" Ino asked.

"Nothing, just a game I played once," I answered and waved it off – but I couldn't stop grinning until I got home and realized that it was much harder to play Star Wars Battlefront 2 than I remembered.

On Monday, Naruto came up to me and we had a frantic whispered conversation on why he hadn't asked Hinata out yet – and I was right – he was nervous. So I told him we'd figure it out at Sasuke's after school. But when I brought up Sasuke's, Naruto asked me if we could work at my house because Sasuke's parents were having an early business/Christmas party. I was a little hesitant, but agreed when I realized my dad would be at the party because he works with Mrs. Carter. So that meant if my mom came home late – like she usually did – then there would be no parental fighting to be embarrassed about. So I half-reluctantly agreed that we would work on the project at my place.

But it was very awkward offering them dinner.

The project had taken a lot longer to work on than we thought – we had to research our focus (the hand) on two other animals – and since I didn't have Sasuke's fancy library, it was all done on the computer. When six-thirty rolled around, Naruto complained that he was hungry, and my stomach was rumbling a little at that time too.

I put forward the idea of having dinner at my place, just to make it easier, and Naruto agreed enthusiastically. Sasuke, on the other hand, didn't say anything; he just followed me and Naruto into the kitchen.

Naruto and I finally agreed to have Kraft dinner, so I started making three boxes- because I wasn't sure if Sasuke was going to eat, and they were both boys, so they both probably ate a lot.

I helped Naruto with asking Hinata out as I made our dinner, and we finally figured out an easy way to do it by the time the noodles were cooked.

Here was when I royally screwed up. I had strained the noodles, put them back into the pot, added the cheese and the milk, but the butter decided that it didn't want to come off the spoon. So as I talked to Naruto, I lightly tapped the spoon's edge against the pot in hopes that the momentum would help the butter slide off. But it didn't work, so I tapped it a little harder. And then I kept on tapping the spoon until I got very frustrated – where I basically was flailing the spoon back and forth, trying and failing to get the friggin butter off the damn spoon.

But then it finally slid off, flew gracefully into the air, and landed on the still-hot burner of the oven.

Before I even realized what happened, a grease fire had started on the stove.

"Oh my god! Oh my god! Oh my god!" Were the gist of the words that came out of my mouth. Naruto panicked and ran to the sink, then cupped some water into his hands, and threw it on the burner.

The flames didn't go out – they intensified. "Oh my god! What did you do!?" I yelled at Naruto.

"I don't know! The last time I checked, water put out fire!" he answered; his voice the same dynamic as mine.

"Not for grease fires you idiot!" I shouted back.

While all of this occurred, Sasuke had nonchalantly pushed off of his place on the wall, and started casually searching the cupboards.

"What the hell?! We're trying to put out a fire and you're raiding my kitchen!?" I yelled at Sasuke, but his indifferent expression didn't change, and I would have thought he had ignored me if not for the small smirk on his lips. I then realized that he wasn't raiding my kitchen when he found a box of baking soda, walked over to the fire (which actually wasn't that big – Naruto and I were just freaking out), and poured it on top of it – effectively smothering the flames.

"Oh my god," I breathed in relief, and leaned on the closest support there was. It was a couple seconds later when the smoke detector went off that I realized the support I was leaning on was actually Sasuke. My face went red and I dashed away from him, took a newspaper from the kitchen table, and fanned the air around the detector. When the detector stopped beeping, I awkwardly thanked Sasuke and apologized to Naruto for yelling at him.

Later that night in bed with Samuel (who thankfully stayed hidden the entire time), way after Sasuke and Naruto had gone, I realized that Sasuke didn't show any signs of protest when I leaned on him.

A familiar sensation squirmed in my stomach at the thought – the butterflies are back but now, they're flapping for someone else.

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On Tuesday, Naruto finally worked up the courage to ask Hinata out, and it was then known around the school that Naruto and I had broken up, and that Naruto and Hinata were officially a couple.

In art class on Wednesday, Ms. Lunids reminded us that our culminating activities were due next week. This made me become conscious of the fact that I hadn't even started my painting yet, and that Christmas break was a week and a half away. That also meant exams were coming, and I hadn't studied for those either. My exams were easy though this year, I only had Math and English – but I did need major help in understanding Shakespeare, so I had to get studying soon.

On Thursday, I decided to start painting my culminating activity for art. I had gone down to the basement of my house where I kept all my art supplies and set up fairly quickly. As I painted, I listened to my ipod – but this made me very distracted and kind of unconscious to what I was _actually_ painting.

I'm one of those workers who tend to wait until the last moment, and cram it all in on one night – so that's exactly what I did. But just as I was putting the last touches to the portrait, my mind came back to earth.

The painting looked like shit. Even though it wasn't even of a human, making it super easy, I somehow made Samuel look like a deformed monkey.

It was then that I decided that I shouldn't paint Samuel, even though as I considered all of the other people that were suitable to paint, Samuel still seemed like the best choice. But that's when I wondered what it would be like to paint a picture of Sasuke.

Yes, it's a bit stalkerish and random, but I wanted to get the project done then and there. And Sasuke has one of those faces where they are extremely attractive, yet simple. So I gave it a go.

But in the end, the painting didn't really look like Sasuke. Call it surrealism or abstract or something, but overall, I have to say it was the best painting I've ever done.

Except I couldn't walk into school with a painting of Sasuke. How weird would that be? Even I'm a little creeped out at myself that I actually painted him. I mean, he would think I was a total freak (which, on some level, is true). So I hid the painting and this time settled for repainting Samuel.

Though it wasn't as bad as the first one, it was still pretty shitty – nothing compared to the one I did of Sasuke. But if it meant I wouldn't be mortified at school, than I was happy to hand it in… kind of.

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Moron of the month:

I give this award to the one and only Sasuke Uchiha.

Events leading up to the ceremony: A bitchy mom (my mom), a defending dad (my dad), an argument (about the kitchen fire, also known as the mac and cheese incident), and a frustrated daughter (me) who rebelled against her mother's wishes of being 'responsible' and foolishly went to a party that her ex-boyfriend/still friend (Naruto) invited her to (going just as friends).

Reasons for Nomination: When the ex-boyfriend/still friend got too drunk and became very sick (Basically Naruto throwing up everywhere and me making him feel better as well as getting him to the car to drive him home).

The rebelling daughter went to care for him and asked for help from the Nominee (Sasuke). The Nominee looked as if he was about to help, but then ended up making out with a random girl (wtf?), all the while knowing that the ex-boyfriend/still friend and the rebelling daughter needed help (basically me trying to half-drag a delirious Naruto to my car).

The Nominee continued to ignore the rebelling daughter's requests even though she had called his name several times (how rude). Instead, he glared at the rebelling daughter _while_ making out with the random girl (was he trying to make me jealous or something?).

The rebelling daughter managed to get to her car with the very ill ex-boyfriend/still friend (it took a hell of a lot of time though), but managed to give the finger to the Nominee (so it wasn't a very good come-back, but I still can't believe I even did it).

In return, the Nominee made a small show of taking the random girl to an empty room where many inferences could be made, effectively winning him the moron of the month award.

It is known that the rebelling daughter _did_ feel jealous and later, in the safety of her room, cried (I didn't really know why I cried either – it was probably because I was so frustrated with Sasuke being a jerk and Naruto being sick and being terrified out of my mind at the crazy partiers – because it's not that I like him or anything…).

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Sasuke's POV

It infuriated him. Even though he couldn't think straight, he was intoxicated with who knows what, and he was just as much to blame for; what just happened made him rage on the inside.

They personally said they were broken up. Hell, the whole school said they were broken up; but apparently they were still together. Fucking liars.

Sakura had been at the party and was with fucking Naruto.

_It's fuckin' better to be single anyways._

Sasuke pushed the girl up against the door of the room they just entered and kissed her roughly.

_Who is this girl anyway?_

The girl made a bold move and reached for his groin.

_Who gives a fuck._

Why would Sakura be at a party? She doesn't even do shit. _She doesn't even do shit._ But she was _there_ with Naruto and they seemed _pretty fucking close_.

The fucking dobe was leaning into her and she was rubbing his back, and then his arm.

_She shouldn't be touching him like that._

And then she called Sasuke over. Did she want him to see them fucking cuddling?

Sasuke had taken two steps towards them, his mind foggy and not understanding why he was being called or even why he was obliging to it. And then he saw the scene in front of him. Sakura leaning against a wall with Naruto's head buried into her shoulder. She had a small frantic smile on her face as she continued to rub his back. She called Sasuke's name again.

_So they're fucking back together now. Bitch._

What Sasuke felt was knew to him, and very confusing considering his state of drunkenness. The anger he felt that burned his insides – seeing her touching the fucking idiot.

_She shouldn't be touching him like that._

Sasuke moved from his position at the door to the couch in the room they occupied, the random girl following without question. He then proceeded to kiss her and touch her almost crudely – taking out the emotions he felt and converting them to what he thought would be better use. …And it was strange, thinking so strongly about one thing and doing something else completely different – he didn't know how to handle it. It was almost alien. And the random girl was oblivious to it, urging him to take off his shirt. But what she was really oblivious was to the purpose behind Sasuke's actions.

Almost minutes before, the same random girl was used as a tool to anger Sakura – to get her back for lying and for being with Naruto, because she shouldn't be with Naruto.

Sasuke had used the random girl because she was the closest one to him, because Sakura was a fucking bitch, because _she shouldn't be touching him like that._

Then Sakura gave him the fucking finger. So she's rubbing it in his face now. _Fucking bitch._

And that's where it brought Sasuke and this girl to. In the room and on the couch where both their shirts were off and Sasuke was easily undoing the clasp of her bra with practiced hands. Where all he could think about was Sakura's hands and Sakura's face doing things that she shouldn't. Where all he could make out of these confusing emotions was the anger that he felt. And this girl was just a prop.

Her skirt was off now, his jeans undone.

_Take that._

He blindly removed another piece of clothing.

_Because I don't care._

He crashed his mouth to hers.

_Because I don't fucking give a damn._

He burned the image of Sakura from his mind, though a small piece lingered.

_I don't fucking give a damn._

He was fast and unfeeling, and when he was done he pushed her off of him.

"Bitch." He said and pulled on his jeans. He took his shirt and pulled it on as he exited the room and then exited the house.

_She shouldn't be touching him like that._


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 27

**Chapter 11**

Sakura's POV

So I've discovered something today (Saturday – also the day after Mr. Moron was awarded his prize): You can't study for exams while an F-ing gorgeous jerk is on your mind – especially if you have to go to the gorgeous jerk's house the next day to work on your science project. Now, my opinion could be biased because I am probably the only person who has to speed study (because the math exam is in four days and the English exam is in five – that's right, I'm a crammer) and figure out what I'm going to do about this whole Sasuke-being-a-moron-thing so I can work on my science project that is to be presented in three days.

So, I've been at my desk in my room for 2 hours and all I have done is two math questions and re-read one chapter of Macbeth. The reason for my poor conductivity is that every time I start to work, my mind drifts off and I find myself replaying Mr. Moron's debut in my head. And then I scold myself for not working and for even _thinking_ about Sasuke – but then I tell myself that I should be thinking of him because _what am I going to do tomorrow!?_

I had reached my third hour of studying (or lack there-of) when I told myself that I would take the high road and go to Sasuke's tomorrow – and if he's an ass about it, I would have Naruto on my side, because I didn't do anything wrong.

And my dear sister arrived just in time for me to forget about doubting my decision of going to Sasuke's – the doorbell rang, and I answered it.

Puriti entered the house with a flourish. Her hair perfectly wind-blown, sunglasses gleaming in the light, and her clothes looking like they just came out of a magazine add.

"Sakura!" she squealed, running towards me. When she hugged me I could see over her shoulder my dad coming in with her _many_ bags and suitcases.

Let me tell you a little bit about my sister – just so you get a taste at what is going to happen over the next few weeks.

My sister isn't afraid of 'stepping out of the box', and she doesn't have any problems with confidence. She likes to be _original_ (as she puts it) and can sometimes be very, _very_ wild – excessive partying included with the package. I'm not quite sure how many boyfriends she's had or how many she's had at a time, but I know she gets pretty _friendly_ with them, if you know what I mean.

But before I continue my explanation, you have to understand something. Puriti may sound like she's on the 'bad shit list', but she really isn't. So I don't know if she excessively smokes pot or sleeps with guys around the clock, but what makes her different is what she doesn't do – because that side of her personality is _so_ much better. I can't explain it, but everyone seems to love my sister – _everyone_. It might be because she's always so happy or she brings the better side out of people, or it might even be something so completely insignificant; whatever it is that she has, makes people love her.

But she isn't an angel or a Mary-Sue. If you look back at some of our home videos, there are plenty of clips that show me playing innocently with my Barbie dolls, and then Puriti coming and snatching them out of my hands. And there is the occasional person that clashes with her and a bitch fight starts, and a lot of the time, I have problems with her too.

Puriti always seems to be the sun, and me the shadow. If I'm good at something, she's better at it, if I want something, she's already got it. Sometimes, I wish that she wasn't always _there _because then, I'd be the one who is glorified. I guess it's just one of those sibling things where there is always a problem.

But back to the present.

"Hi!" I greeted back, and returned the hug.

"Oh my god, I can't believe I'm actually here! It seemed like forever when I planned to come – did you know I'm staying for _all_ of Christmas Holidays?! Isn't that great!" Puriti said while holding my hands and bouncing up and down- that action reminded me of Sarah ona sugar rush.

"I know – but you should have Facebooked me – then I'd know when you were actually coming," I replied.

"Well I was here and there on my way so I didn't know _exactly _when I'd arrive – oh! That reminds me! I bought you something!" and we went up the stairs, following my dad who was carrying all of the luggage to Puriti's room. On the way she blabbered _on _and _on_ about how I'll love my gift and how this guy she hooked up with knew someone who had the same thing as what she was about to give me. It's only been a couple of minutes and already I'm put-off by her over-exuberance.

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Sasuke POV

Sasuke woke up that day with a nasty hangover, a cloudy memory of the previous night, and a nagging feeling, telling him to look up the word 'jealousy' in the dictionary.

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Sakura POV

Puriti and I lounged in my room later that night. While Puriti cuddled with Samuel, who surprised her with his skinny physique, I told her about my dilemma- and she actually had a solution. As she explained it to me, I fiddled with my new cellphone – the gift that Puriti had given me.

What she told me to do was when I go over to his place, I should act confident. If he remembers, he'll think that I'll either not mind what had happened, or I'll seem not afraid or intimidated by him. If he doesn't remember, than there will be nothing to worry about. To solve the exams problem, she told me to bring my study stuff over to his place and we can all study as a group.

This seemed like a good enough idea, even though her idea of Sasuke isn't exactly what he is in reality (considering I left out a lot about him and the incident that happened).

But I didn't follow the plan at all.

I tried to, but it is so easy to talk about something. Actually doing that something is a whole other story.

I was going to be confident, but I ended up acting like Sarah in a thunderstorm.

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Sasuke POV

Sasuke stared at her for a long time. When she first came into the library, where Naruto and he were already situated and working (well, Sasuke was), she seemed very uptight. And when she sat down, Sasuke started the staring.

And it wasn't like he was glaring – it was more of a calculative I'm-trying-to-remember-what-happened-between-me-and-you-but-I-can't-remember look.

And he tried to remember until Sakura's face completely drained of colour – she saw him staring.

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Sakura POV

I felt myself go completely pale. He was staring at me – no, he was glaring at me with an I-remember-what-happened-and-I-am-not-happy look.

I didn't know what to do. All the options that I had wouldn't do anything to make the situation better so all I could do was sit there and be very quiet and hopefully, he will eventually forget my presence.

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Sasuke POV

So something _did _happen. Shit. Because she wasn't even blushing – at _anything _he did. Currently she was curled up in a ball – her feet up on the seat, chin on her knees, one arm curled around her legs and the other writing down the information for their project – and she just kept getting paler and paler.

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Sakura POV

He just kept looking at me, and then he'd nudge me randomly; while he was passing by to the kitchen or reaching for something across the table – and I'm not sure if these nudges were meant to be as a show of resentment or if they were completely accidental.

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Sasuke POV

Something _big _happened that night, and though he couldn't remember what it was, he knew just how horrible it could be – knowing he wasn't the nicest person can lead to not very nice situations. So Sasuke decided he _will_ find out what happened – that or make Sakura stop acting like a fucking mouse caught in a trap.

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Sakura POV

Sasuke actually spoke. For the first time since I came to his house that day, he talked. Well, it wasn't exactly something important, and it's not like he wanted to – Naruto had asked a question and since I was too nervous to answer, Sasuke did.

"You guys wanna help me study?" Naruto asked. We had just finished working on our project and he pulled his knapsack – which was unusually large considering Naruto barely did any work – and dumped it on the table. Apparently he had the same idea as me and Puriti.

I didn't say anything and when Naruto urged us with a 'guys?' Sasuke spoke.

"No."

"Aw, come on! I'm gonna fail if you guys don't help me! I mean Sasuke you're like a genius dude and Sakura, you're like awesome and stuff at school," he begged.

I decided to answer this time because I believed Naruto when he said he would fail if we didn't help him, and whether or not Sasuke assisted me, I had to help him – I was his friend and if I could help him then I would.

"…Okay…" I squeaked, and as Naruto cheered, I quickly glanced at Sasuke with nervous eyes to see his reaction, but then quickly lowered them to my lap – he was staring at me again.

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Sasuke POV

Fucker.

Now he had to help the dobe study. And it would take him a long time too – because Naruto is friggin stupid – a fucking monkey has a higher IQ than he does.

And why Sasuke feels that he _has_ to help him is because after Sakura _chirped_ 'okay', she looked at him with puppy-dog eyes. _Puppy-dog eyes_.

This was a guilt-trip, he knew it – it _had to _be a guilt-trip, because why would Sakura _ever_ do _puppy-dog eyes_ unless he had done something so over the top that he had to do a _favor_. A fucking _favor_. He never gave _favors_. The word didn't even exist in his vocabulary. _Favor._ What was she thinking? She could never get him to do a _favor_.

Though he somehow found himself outside studying with Naruto and Sakura and half-watching Sarah swimming in the pool. And he had the head-ache of the millennium – nothing Sakura or Sasuke did could get any information through Naruto's thick skull.

But he wasn't doing a _favor _– Sarah had come into the library and begged for Sasuke to life-guard for her as she swam in the pool. Sasuke calmly pointed out that there were other staff in the house that could watch her, but according to Sarah they weren't 'superfantabulous enough'.

And then, after the three moved their work place to outside, the studying just sort of _happened_. But it's not like Sasuke _agreed_ to anything, so it wasn't a _favor_. At least, that's what he told himself.

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Sakura POV

It was _boiling_ outside. Even though I was in a tank top and a skirt, I was melting. I was actually internally rejoicing every time a droplet of water splashed from Sarah in the pool beside us. And that pool looked so tempting – it was only a couple of steps away – if I really wanted to I could pretend to fall off of my chair and fall in the water. But that would be way too embarrassing, no matter how hot it was. And I was probably getting really sunburned – I didn't want to be nerdy and ask for sunscreen (it's not like I could in the mental state I was in then).

I had calmed down by the time we got outside, though I was still very nervous… and very anxious and worried and edgy and jumpy and panicky and tense and uneasy.

So I guess I was just as bad as before, but maybe a little more _aware_.

"Whew, it sure is a hot one today," Naruto said and took off his shirt. _He took off his shirt_. If it was possible for me to get any hotter in this weather than I think that had done the trick. I mean, I don't like Naruto anymore, but he has a tattooed, tanned, and at the time _glistening,_ six-pack- so I had the right to become very, very, _very_ warm.

And the colour finally rushed back into my face as a huge blush.

"Hey Sakura? You alright?" Naruto asked, referring to my red face.

"Uh, yeah, I'm fine. It's just really, um, hot out here," I answered, and Naruto believed me.

It's a good thing he didn't notice me staring at his stomach.

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Sasuke POV

How could he _not_ notice her staring at his stomach? How stupid could he be?

How could he not realize that the reason behind her blush was his fucking being shirtless?

And how could she just _stare_ at him like that – so easily – and not even spare a glance in Sasuke's direction?

_Look at me._

Sasuke took off his shirt too – possibly from the heat, and possibly for another reason.

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Sakura POV

OH MY GOD oh my god oh my god oh my god.

My _hand_ was fanning myself that's so hot it was – no, I had taken my math notes and was fanning myself with them.

They were both there and shirtless and sweating and _toned_.

And it was _really_ really really hot.

Really hot.

And I couldn't concentrate either, my eyes kept flickering to both of them – well, both of their chests.

And it was _SO_ hot. I mean, outside was hot, the weather was hot, I was hot… they were hot…

"I think I'm going to go stick my feet into the pool for a sec," I mumbled and quickly got up and out of the chair, flicked my sandals off, and sat at the pools edge.

Sarah swam over to me with a life jacket and water wings, and started explaining how she was a mermaid in the water. I listened in relief – this was something that could start to cool me down.

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Sasuke POV

She was looking – no, drooling. But at both of them. Not only Sasuke.

"Gettin' hot too?" Naruto asked, and then grinned, leaned forward and said for only Sasuke to hear, "Or is it because of Sakura?"

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Sakura POV

There was suddenly a huge splash. I mean huge. When the waves receded, and the bubbles cleared, I saw Naruto surface – and the chair he was sitting on.

"What the-" Naruto started but then closed his mouth because young ears were present. "Sasuke what did you do that for!?"

I looked back to Sasuke to see him sitting as he was before, except he had a smug smirk on his face. Then his eyes flickered to me and then right beside me. I followed his gaze too late. Naruto already snuck up on me and pulled me into the pool.

I surfaced in the water partially spluttering out of surprise, and blushing with embarrassment – A yellow top can be pretty see-through when wet and a skirt isn't the best thing to swim in. Especially if there are other people around. Other _guys_ around.

So I stayed in the pool with my arms crossed over my chest and my legs together, knowing that they could probably _see_ certain things if I tried to get out.

But they weren't paying attention to me, well, Naruto wasn't.

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Sasuke POV

Naruto climbed out of the water and soaking wet, made his way to Sasuke.

Sasuke stayed seated with cocky, mild amusement.

Naruto then said 'It's your turn.'

Sasuke met the blondes' eyes and infinitesimally tensed for the first move.

Naruto then tried for a headlock but ended up grabbing air.

Sasuke had ducked and lunged for Naruto.

Neither of them seemed to notice the exceedingly red-faced girl watching the fight in awe.

Neither of them _seemed_ to notice.

_Look at me._

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Sakura POV

I think that if I wasn't in the pool, I would have spontaneously combusted.

Two shirtless, wet, hot, guys were play-fighting. Oh my god. I think I could die happy.

And then one of them charged the other – right into the water. Right where I was.

I managed to swim out of body contact, but I still got majorly splashed by the wave that followed. And I still got caught in the fight.

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Sasuke POV

Sasuke had never done this sober. This swimming in the pool with his clothes on thing. He had also never done so much to get a girl's attention. He had also never seen Sakura's bra and underwear.

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Sakura POV

Naruto, caught up in the action, decided it would be funny to lift me up and throw me. I didn't think it was all too fun because my hands flailed up to keep balance as he raised me into the air showing off my blue Victoria Secret bra which was visible through my yellow tank top.

It also didn't help that he threw me right into Sasuke.

He grunted on impact and was pushed back into the water with me on top of him.

Okay now freeze time and look at my position.

I was on top of a shirtless Sasuke in the water with my bra showing. Where were his hands? One on my waist and one on my shoulder. Why? To keep balance?

We both came up coughing for air – well I did. Sasuke kind of came up… and that was it. He didn't let go of me and he didn't give a reaction.

He was still holding my waist – wait no – my _thigh_, and he was holding my shoulder – except his hand seemed to be wandering downwards and in the opposite direction of my back.

I quickly scrambled away and swam over to the shallow end where I was pretending to catch my breath and where Sarah was pretending to be a mermaid.

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Sasuke POV

Now the night of the party didn't seem as big of a deal as before, because Sakura wasn't pale anymore. She was the exact opposite.

And she was looking at Sasuke.

_Look at me._

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Sakura POV

All I could do was sit at the edge of the pool (still wet) with my arms over my chest, and my mouth hanging open. All I could do was stare.

This looked like something that came out of an Abercrombie ad. A really _wet_ Abercrombie ad.

So these two guys (really hot two guys) are play-fighting (really hot play fighting), with the majority of their clothes on (their shirts were off… and it was really hot), in the pool (which was really hot 'cause they were wet).

And it was really hot. Really.

So no one can tell me that it was weird or whatever to stare at them, because (as previously mentioned) it was _really hot_.

But then I wasn't the only one staring.

Naruto had caught site of me and slowly, while keeping his eyes on me, stopped what he was doing.

And then Sasuke did as well.

And then it was really silent (except for Sarah splashing around and singing songs from the Little Mermaid).

My eyes kept flickering back and forth between Naruto and Sasuke as my arms tightened around my chest, feeling very conscious of myself.

Then Naruto spoke.

"Whoa, Sakura! What happened!?"

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Sasuke POV

_What happened!?_

What happened is right!

What the hell happened to the annoying scrawny loser that was moments before in the pool? Because all Sasuke saw was a stranger.

A very attractive stranger.

"What?" she answered, sounding a little frantic.

"Your hair!" Naruto replied.

"My hair?" she sounded confused.

Sitting at the edge of the pool was someone looking very similar to Sakura, except _way_ more… something – he couldn't find the right word. And it wasn't the hair he was focusing on.

Her clothes were wet and clinging to her skin – letting show the curves that could have been hiding. Her skirt had run up her legs and was showing the smooth flesh of her thighs. Her shirt at become see-through, showing off her revealing undergarments, and her arms were crossed around her chest in a provocative manor – pronouncing her cleavage line. Sasuke couldn't help but let his eyes follow the water droplets that slid down to that area.

"It's… different!" Naruto exclaimed.

Now Sasuke focused on the hair – but it didn't click why Naruto was gawking over it – her hairstyle was nothing new. He had seen the curls before, when she had walked (and gotten lost) in the rain on the way to his house. The large green eyes that contrasted with the pink of her hair were opened wide at the accusations coming from the blonde.

A drop of water made its way down between them and dripped off the end of her nose and fell on the plump lips beneath. Altogether, her face wasn't hard on the eyes – it was the exact opposite – even in the confused expression it held.

But then Sasuke came to a realization. It was the all too familiar blush that made him believe it. The bright green eyes and the pink hair – it was extremely hard to believe – but this girl sitting at the edge of the pool, the one that was about to give him a nose bleed, was Sakura. It was fucking Sakura. Remember the old paper-towel girl that annoyed him time and time again? Well, it was her.

It was fucking her.

When did Sakura get so, dare he think it, _hot_?

But maybe it was just the water that was doing this. Or heat exhaustion. Or _something._ Because he wasn't seeing this. Or, maybe it was that he wasn't _comprehending_ it.

Sakura and _hot_? In the same sentence?

She had never looked like this before, why the sudden change? Why the fucking sudden change?

"Why!?" Sakura threw her hands to her hair (revealing her fairly unguarded chest), trying to make out the problem. And then her expression changed from confused and frantic, to realization, to frantic again. "Oh my god!" And then she started to ramble.

"Oh my god my hair! I can't believe it! I completely forgot and now it's not straightened and curly! Ew! Oh my god! I should have-"

"It looks good!" Naruto cut in.

Sakura stopped speaking and looked appalled. Then her eyes took a suspicious quality, "Not funny – you are so lying!" And then she slid back into the water, re-wetting her curls. She surfaced with her head tilted upwards so her hair would gather slickly at her back.

_Isn't this the start of some R rated movie?_

Sasuke's pulse then quickened when she used her hands to smooth back the stray hairs and then tied the whole thing up into a tight bun. This also left her upper body, clad in wet see-through clothing, free for all eyes to see – for Sasuke's eyes to see.

_It's a good thing the pool is cold._

"I wasn't lying! It actually looked good!" Naruto blurted out, and then looked to Sasuke for back-up.

But Sasuke didn't look back, nor did he reply – he couldn't take his eyes off of Sakura.

And that's when Sarah broke her leg.

**A/N Whoa! Random! I could so leave you guys in a cliffy (not a very good one…) right now. But I won't, cuz then you'd be mad at me for leaving you hanging and for a short chapter. Oh, and you guys were asking for it**** – so I did it – I finally made Sasuke realize that Sakura was pretty – and it hit them harder cuz he LIKES HER! We all know it, he just won't admit it. Oh, that Sasuke. SO I'm gonna get back to the story now…**

It was the sound that reached him first – it was the sound that told him trouble was coming.

The sound was that of a diving board being jumped on.

And he turned his head just in time to see the event occur.

Sarah must have made her way to the deep end – where she wasn't allowed to go – when Sasuke was… distracted. She must have climbed out of the water and she must have climbed on to the diving board – where she also wasn't allowed to go – and decided to try it out.

What Sasuke heard was Sarah taking her first bounce, and then her second, and then on the landing of her third, Sasuke turned and saw Sarah's foot slip, her expression change from mischievous delight to surprise and terror, her body twist to a 45 degree angle as she fell to the water on the left side of the diving board, the side of her shin hitting the edge of the board with a _thunk!_

By this point, Sasuke had already started a mad head-up front crawl towards her, his eyes wide and his mind thinking only one thing '_Holy Fuck!_ _Sarah!'_

The distance between the diving board and the water wasn't far – only about two feet – and it was a good thing Sarah was wearing a life jacket and water wings so she would float to the surface easily.

And when she did, an ear-shattering scream erupted from her mouth.

"Oh my god!" That was Sakura.

"Holy shit!" That was Naruto.

"Sarah," Sasuke said calmly, trying to hide the panic in his voice when he reached her. He didn't want to touch her though, in case anything else was hurt besides her leg.

_I should have been watching!_

When Sarah's scream finally cracked, she broke into sobs.

_I should have been paying attention!_

"Sarah," Sasuke said again in a low, soothing voice, "Sarah, where does it hurt?"

The answer was pretty obvious – Sarah's shouts and hollers of 'My leg! My leg! Ow! Ow! Ow!' made it clear.

"Oh my god! Sarah?! Tow her in! Tow her in!" Sakura had swum over and Naruto had gotten out of the water and ran over to the side where the action was happening.

"Bring her over here!" He called from the edge.

Sasuke and Sakura carefully and slowly towed Sarah towards Naruto and lifted her out of the water.

"OW! MY LEG!"

"Watch her leg!"

"I'm watching it! I'm watching it!"

"OW! OW! OW!"

"Oh my god! Look at it!"

The injured area had already taken the tint of blue and had started to swell.

"Naruto, get my car ready," Sasuke said with reluctant conviction.

"I get to drive the Maserati!?"

"Fuck! Just go!"

"Okay! Okay!" Naruto then ran around the house and out of sight.

Sasuke picked up the howling child who cried even more if her leg moved the slightest bit. Sakura followed him into the house and then blurted out, "Rice! We have to do Rice!"

"What the fuck?"

"Rice! The acronym! The first aid thing!" And she pushed Sasuke – who was still holding Sarah – into the kitchen.

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Sakura POV

I never thought I'd use my first-aid training – the summer course turned out to be handy. Even when we were all panicking (Sasuke was too, even if he didn't show it – I could tell from his eyes).

RICE

R rest and reassure.

I immobilize.

C cold compress.

E elevation.

When I brought Sasuke into the kitchen, he put the still screaming Sarah onto the counter. As I yelled instructions out, we both searched and found the items needed.

We ended up taking a pack of frozen peas and securing them onto her leg with a cloth and duck tape. As I did this, Sasuke tried calling one of his parents.

A couple of the house staff peered in to see what all the commotion was about, and as we were leaving the house, Sasuke directed them to call his parents, who he was currently unable to reach, and tell them that they were taking Sarah to the hospital for a possible broken leg.

Naruto was waiting in the front seat of the Maserati Diablo when we got outside. His expression was tense and worried, though you could see the excitement he had for being able to drive Sasuke's car.

Sasuke and I slid into the back seat where he held the majority of Sarah on his lap while her leg rested on mine. His expression was completely stoic as we rode to the hospital, staring straight ahead and briefly closing his eyes or glancing down at Sarah. He would also occasionally lean down so his mouth was at her ear and he'd whisper something that I couldn't hear. His arms were wrapped around her so she was cradled into his chest, and this seemed to calm Sarah the tiniest bit. Her howls turned to sobs and her screams turned into anguished cries – but at least she wasn't breaking our ear drums anymore.

When we got to Emergency, Naruto dropped us at the door and then went to find a place to park.

Sasuke, Sarah and I must have looked like a pretty odd group coming in - Sasuke and I were still very wet from the pool, Sasuke was shirtless, and Sarah was crying and still in her bathing suit (her life-jacket and water wings came off in the car).

After we signed in, we waited for our turn on one of the benches, ignoring the stares we received from others in the room (who weren't staring for long due to Sasuke's glare).

When Naruto returned and Sarah's crying still hadn't ceased, I decided to help. Kneeling in front of her and Sasuke (she was still on his lap), I talked to her in a soothing voice. I did what my mom used to do when I was little and I got hurt – that was to run my hands through her hair and whisper words of comfort. When I glanced up to Sasuke briefly, I found that he was staring – at me. I quickly looked away and got back into my seat, blushing and a little embarrassed – I must of looked weird when I was calming Sarah down.

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It took only a half hour to get a doctor to see us – the nurse was young (and flirty) and got us in ahead of others. The Doctor did a quick x-ray and confirmed that her leg was fractured. By the time he put a cast on her, Mrs. Carter had gotten to the hospital and I was able to go home – not that I wanted to – I wanted to see how Sarah turned out.

But it was getting late and my dad would probably be wondering where I was since I didn't have my new cell phone with me. So Sasuke drove Naruto back to the Carter house where the orange Lexis was waiting in the driveway, and then drove me straight to my house – and this was done all in silence.

But the weirdest thing happened when he dropped me off.

I said 'thanks for the ride' and 'I hope Sarah is alright' and things along that line, and when I looked to Sasuke, he was staring at me, _again._

And I stared back. For a long time. And I didn't blush.

The sun had gone down and lights in the car were basically the only light. It seemed to illuminate his pale skin and make his eyes and hair seem even darker.

My fingers reached out to touch his arm on their own accord, but the moment they touched his skin, my mom burst out of the front door of my house and ran over to the car shouting things like 'What the hell are you doing?', 'It's so late out!', and 'Why isn't your cell phone with you?'

I snatched my hand away, my face turning red (like it usually does) and quickly got out of the car mumbling a 'thanks' and a 'bye' and ran up to the front door with my mom trailing close behind me – _still_ yelling.

Well at least I know she cares a bit.

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Sasuke POV

He sat there staring at the spot that she touched for a while after Sakura had left the car.

It tingled where she touched – no, it _burned_. And the burn spread through his arm, to his chest and settled in the pit of his stomach.

This burning wasn't an angry one though – it seemed one of…_lust?_ Or maybe a desire? Because he wanted to touch her back. He wanted to _touch_ her. But there was no other feeling behind it – he just wanted to touch her back. And this want seemed to grow to a need but he didn't understand why and it confused him to no end – and Sasuke didn't handle confusion all that well.

A passing set of headlights snapped him out of his daze and he shook his head clearing his thoughts- or at least trying to. He then put the car into drive and headed back for his house. Or maybe back to the hospital. Or maybe he would just drive.

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Sakura POV

I got to my room and I closed my door and I couldn't contain the squeal building up in my throat. It _had_ to come out.

Was that a moment I had there with Mr. Uchiha? Was it?

'Cause I swear it was! Well, at least it did to me!

My mom let the issue drop once she realized I wasn't listening about half-way up the stairs to my room, so I was free to bask in the glory of my moment. _MY_ moment.

He was looking at me and I was looking at him and then I wasn't blushing and then he wasn't glaring and then I touched him and it was _soooooooo_ great. My hand felt like it was on fire! Wahhhhh! I think I might have been exerting some pretty loud squeals and squeaks and hyperness all alone in my room. It was CRAZY! Oh my god I had a moment! And I want _another one!_

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The next morning was Monday, but since exams were starting, I didn't have any school – and I didn't have any exams that day either. This thought alone was enough to make me happy, but when I remembered my moment, I was ecstatic.

I was in such a good mood that I could tolerate my mom. I was in such a good mood that I could tolerate waiting 45 minutes for Samuel to actually eat something. I was in such a good mood that I could tolerate my sister being in the spotlight. Heck, I was in such a good mood that I could even tolerate studying with Naruto.

And then that made me think that Naruto didn't get much studying done yesterday because of the whole Sarah incident.

And then _that_ made me think that I should call Naruto and ask him if he still needs help studying.

And then _THAT _made me think of Hinata and her and Naruto getting a push in the right direction.

And then _THAT_ made me think of me getting a push in the right direction and possibly another moment?

So it was decided. I would call Naruto and Hinata and ask them if they wanted to come over to my place and study (and hint for Naruto to ask Sasuke to come too) and then after studying we could all go to the beach or something (okay, so maybe I wanted to see them shirtless again…).

Naruto and Hinata were able to come but Naruto said that Sasuke didn't want to come. He also said that the real reason for Sasuke not coming was to be with Sarah, but was 'too much of a cold bastard to admit it'. And guess what? _That_ made me think of another thing – and that was to draw a picture or give a 'get well soon' card or something for Sarah. But that is aside from what was happening today.

I noticed that when Hinata and Naruto are together, they don't talk much, or interact much. Or do much at all.

We were at the dining room table in my house where there was a lot of space to work on. Naruto and Hinata were sitting beside each other and I was across from them, so I could observe what was going on pretty well. I think Samuel was hiding- I really should try and make him more social.

Naruto would ask a question and Hinata would answer in a stuttering jumble of words. Then as Hinata was explaining, Naruto would sidle closer to her – so close that they were touching and I could see Hinata's hair swinging a little from Naruto's breath – _that's_ how close they were. And of course Hinata's face was beat read and Naruto was a tad oblivious. And of course Hinata would shuffle her chair away from him with a smile on her face. And of course Naruto would shuffle right back next to her.

By the time I suggested we should start to head to the beach, the couple was halfway down the table from where they originally were.

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The beach was moderately crowded, though we were still able to get a very good spot.

I had dedicated my time to working on my tan, so that meant laying out in the sun with in a bikini and listening to my ipod. Naruto had dedicated his time to try and get Hinata to go swimming, and Hinata dedicated her time to trying to not go swimming because that would mean she would have to take off the baggy t-shirt she insisted on wearing over her bathing suit (which was a bikini that Ino and I forced her to buy – she was just shy to show it).

As I tanned I drifted in and out of a light sleep where I witnessed clips of what was happening between Naruto and Hinata – and let me tell you, going to the beach was the right thing to do.

The first time I woke up, Naruto was still persuading Hinata to go swimming. Hinata had taken to declining politely and blushing a lot – because Naruto was bare chested.

The second time I woke up, Hinata had gotten her t-shirt off and was now hugging herself, and Naruto was getting even more enthusiastic because he knew she was close to giving in.

The third time I woke up, the two weren't present. I lifted myself to my elbows and groggily looked around – and when I directed my gaze towards the water, I saw that Naruto was successful.

The fourth time I woke up, Naruto and Hinata were drying off with their towels and Naruto had offered to get ice cream. I think he asked me too but I pretended I was still asleep – today was about them.

The fifth time I woke up, I saw something very surprising. Hinata and Naruto were sitting very close together, and Hinata was actually, purposefully, touching him. _And_ they were kissing!

Naruto had on hand resting on Hinata's waist, and the other he was leaning on for balance. He was initiating most of the kissing, but it wasn't like Hinata wasn't responding. She had one hand clutched to her chest while the other was tentatively touching _his_ chest, and her head was tilted up, ready to receive.

Now this got me wide awake, but I decided to pretend to be asleep again because if they knew I was aware of them, Hinata would become completely embarrassed and it would ruin _their_ moment. So I closed my eyes and I accidentally fell asleep again.

The sixth time I woke up was also the final time. I felt a gentle hand on my shoulder and opened my eyes to see Hinata looking down on me.

"Sakura, y-you're getting a s-sunburn," she said, "And N-n-naruto and I are r-ready to g-go."

"Uh, okay," I replied and looked myself over only to find that I actually did get a sunburn – not a bad one, but it still gave a reddish tint to my skin.

Once we packed up and were heading back, I noticed that Naruto had his arm around Hinata's shoulder and lightly holding her against his side – and Hinata didn't even move away, though she blushed a lot.

Yeah, the beach was a very good idea.

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Guess what.

Almost everything that was or will be between me and Sasuke went back to the very beginning. And I mean the _very_ beginning.

We didn't have any exams today, but we did have our science presentation, so that meant our whole science class had to be at school for the length of a normal period so we could all take turns presenting.

So when I went to school and saw Sasuke, my mind had reverted to becoming completely obsessed with him again. That meant not paying attention to anything else, constant staring, almost drooling, and sometimes blushing.

It was like the very first day of school – the beginning – and all I could think was _Sasuke_.

And I guess Sasuke decided it would be the first day too because you know what he did? He totally ignored me. Even when I was sitting right beside him. And when he wasn't ignoring me, he was glaring at me. I couldn't even talk to him or be near him – this Sasuke sort of scared me.

It was like I could feel the cold vibes emanating from him, I could see the 'fuck off' sign reverberating in the space around him.

And this totally got me confused because I had no idea what was going on. I thought we had a moment – but I guess I was wrong. He was the cold, mean, stoic (and gorgeous) Sasuke that existed in the beginning.

And, this may sound a little random, but I think Mr. Kakashi has an all-seeing, all-knowing eye.

I say this because he pressed the fast-forward button and made everything go back to the present.

Except he kind of messed up.

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Sasuke POV

Sasuke can do almost anything. And if there is something Sasuke can't do, he either finds a way to be able to do that something (which happens the majority of the time) or he ignores it and pretends it doesn't exist. That's just the way Sasuke works.

Something Sasuke can't do is handle Sakura Haruno.

It's not that he can't handle her literally or physically (because, by all means, that's something he does best), he can't handle her mentally.

Or rather the feelings for her, mentally.

And the feelings for her are new to him. Well, almost new.

What Sasuke feels for Sakura is an undeniable attraction of sorts (though he would never admit it). It is confusing to describe, because this attraction (according to Sasuke) is a mixture of not minding her constant existence in his life, and a wanting to touch her.

But the majority wanted to touch her.

And Sasuke thought that maybe if he fulfills this wanting, it would go away and he would be satisfied.

But Sasuke never got a chance to fulfill it, because handling Sakura was something he couldn't do.

So, like some things, he chose to ignore it.

But it is very hard to ignore these feelings when he was in the very hot science room where the air conditioning had broken, and the one he had these feelings for was sitting right beside him.

And continuously fanning herself with one hand.

And constantly fiddling with the hem of her shirt to let the air flow underneath.

And frequently playing with her hair.

And persistently staring at him.

Did he mention that the room was very hot?

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Sakura POV

Mr. Kakashi initiated his plan when everyone had finished their presentations.

Some groups, along with ours, used a projector for visual aid – and according to Mr. Kakashi, the last group to use it should be the ones to put it away.

Naruto, Sasuke and I were the last people to use the projector.

And when Naruto realized this, he bolted for the door to escape the work, yelling, "Hah, see ya Mr. K!" over his shoulder.

And that left me and Sasuke.

Ignoring Mr. Kakashi's rule as well, Sasuke didn't think twice about walking out the door.

So that left me. Alone.

"Sasuke? I don't think Sakura here can do the job by herself." Mr. Kakashi called just as Sasuke crossed the threshold.

So maybe I wasn't alone. Except I'm not sure which is better- being alone or being with the mean Sasuke.

Sasuke turned and walked back into the room, irritated. I was a little surprised by the little resistance and the possible obedience he showed.

"These are the keys to the storage room," Mr. Kakashi explained and tossed the key-ring to the annoyed Sasuke, "When you are done, you can drop them on my desk." He sat down at said piece of furniture and opened his porno book. Ew.

It was silent for a pretty long time, where Mr. Kakashi read his book, Sasuke waited with a bored but expecting expression, and I stood near the projector in an awkward silence.

"Well?" Mr. Kakashi looked up and motioned for us to get going.

"Oh, um, sorry sir," and in a rush, I picked up the projector and walked out the door, Sasuke following me silently.

It was only until after I was in the hallway and walking, did I realize how _heavy_ the piece of equipment actually was. I shouldn't have been carrying it; Mr. I've-got-a-really-really-nice-body-that-is-loaded-with-muscle should be.

But he was being the old Sasuke. And I didn't like the old Sasuke very much. The old Sasuke scared me.

He would glare at me when I spoke, and then completely ignore the fact that I actually _did_ speak – even when I started with, "So, how is Sarah doing?" He would just walk on and disregard my existence.

He even ignored me when he saw me struggling with the fricken heavy projector.

But then everything changed when we entered the storage room.

Sasuke had unlocked the door, had enough decency to hold it open for me, and flicked on the lights. When the door closed, I turned to Sasuke and asked him if he could help me lift the projector to its proper shelf – even though it wasn't that high up, the hunk of metal was slipping from my grip and my arms were shaking with the effort of holding it up.

When Sasuke didn't answer, I turned to him with a desperate look and was about to ask again – but all that came out was a 'Sssssaa…'

Sasuke was right behind me. And staring. I mean _really_ staring.

I could feel his breath on my face – that's how close he was to me, and it was making me very dizzy.

I don't know how long we stood like that. A couple of seconds? A minute? 5 minutes?

And then what happened next was so unexpected I nearly dropped the projector.

Sasuke suddenly dropped the keys, closed the space between us and before I even knew what was going on, I was pushed towards the back wall of the very tiny storage room, and was heatedly making out with him.

And this kiss wasn't slow and seductive like the first time he ever kissed me, it was kind of rough – but I wasn't complaining. Because I think there was some tongue action in there.

And guess what? I still had the projector in my hands.

So that's why I slowly and unconsciously slid down to the floor with my back against the wall, so the projector was resting on my lap and not on my exhausted arms.

And guess what else? The kiss didn't break that whole time – he ended up kneeling in front of me – his hands on my face and in my hair. Oh my god, it was amazing.

But the moment I realized that my hands were free and I went to touch him, _he_ realized what he was doing and abruptly stopped.

Yes, he stopped. And he stood up, took the projector from my hands, put it on its shelf, and walked out of the storage room just like that. _Just like that_.

I was left sitting against the wall, alone in the storage room, still dizzy and very confused from the incident that had just played out.

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I was in a daze as I walked back to Mr. Kakashi's classroom. Sasuke's kiss left me dizzy and dazzled, but his abrupt departure left me utterly confused. I still had the memory of his hands in my hair, his lips on mine, and the ferventness of his actions. Overall, I was hardly conscious of where I was going or wary of the projector room keys clutched tightly in my hand.

It was a voice that snapped me back to my senses as I approached the classroom.

"Now, is there anything you want to talk about?"

The lazy but informing voice was almost impossible not to recognize. Mr. Kakashi was talking. The voice was coming through the open door to his classroom.

But wait, there were voices.

"Hn."

Now if Mr. Kakashi's voice was _almost_ impossible to not recognize, than this _was_ impossible. If the infamous word/grunt wasn't a giveaway, than the cold indifference behind it was.

Sasuke Uchiha was in the room with Mr. Kakashi- and they were having a conversation. A seemingly serious conversation.

Despite the obvious nosiness of my actions, I could not help but sidle up against the lockers and listen.

"You're sure," Mr. Kakashi spoke, "there aren't any problems you'd like to discuss?"

"Hn" Sasuke again.

"No… issues?" Was the reply.

"No." Sasuke's tone was clipped.

"You're sure? There aren't any problems, dilemmas, predicaments about anything?" He emphasized the next words, "About any _one?_"

My heartbeat raced at the inference.

"No." Sasuke's tone seemed more annoyed.

"No girl problems…" Mr. Kakashi inquired.

Sasuke's reply was cocky, maybe amused, "Tch, no."

"Not even with someone?"

Sasuke was annoyed again, "No."

"Not even with a _special_ someone?"

"No." but his reply was to quick, and too forceful to have any credibility. From what I could tell, and probably Mr. Kakashi as well, was that Sasuke was hiding something.

The idea made me almost hyperventilate. The idea of Sasuke hiding something about a girl- could it possibly have to do something with someone he just recently made out with in a cupboard?

"Sasuke," Mr. Kakashi sighed and it almost sounded disapproving, although it still sounded as if he expected the given behavior. "I'm supposed to check up on you, I _want _to."

He was met with silence.

"And if there is anything you have issues with, you should let me know. Maybe I can help."

Sasuke's next words were ground out, "I don't have any issues."

Then there was a long stretch of silence. It was so quiet, I was afraid my drumming heartbeat would give my position away.

And then Mr. Kakashi sighed again, still sounding disappointed, "You know, these tattoos aren't here for nothing."

My sudden interest was sparked- the tattoos on their wrists. The little swirly thingies. What could they mean? Are Sasuke and Mr. Kakashi somehow related? Or part of some pact? Did they get the tattoos together? Maybe they _are_ related. Weird. My love interest and my teacher. But _how _are they related? Maybe Mr. Kakashi is his uncle, or godfather- but Sasuke's an orphan… Maybe he's a friend. Or a friend of the Carters?

The rest of their conversation was muffled in my head by the rampage of thoughts- I mean, Mr. Kakashi and Sasuke related? I wouldn't even know if I hadn't eavesdropped. Like, how is it eve-

"Sakura."

I heard my name. No- someone was _calling _my name. I was frozen against the lockers. My thoughts were frozen, heck I think my heart was even frozen.

"You can come in now," Mr. Kakashi's voice continued.

How did he know I was there? What am I going to do now?

It took quite amount of willpower to not run away from the situation. But I looked down at my fist, where the projector room keys were still clutched. I still had to return them.

It then took even more willpower not to throw them into the room and then run away.

And when I looked up from my fist, the one person I dreaded seeing me there, even more than Mr. Kakashi, walked out the door, right in front of me.

He glared.

And although this was the mean Sasuke, the one who ignored me, the one who _glared_- it wasn't the icy, irritated look that usually sent chills down my spine and left me cold.

Rather, I blushed and felt embarrassed as I watched him proceed down the hall and around the corner.

"Sakura?" Mr. Kakashi asked again.

The next few moments I rushed. It took me a total of total of three seconds to walk into his room, facing the floor, set the keys on his desk, and race out of there- only looking up once to see the slight grin that appeared over the top of his porno book.

Was he grinning at me? Or Sasuke?

Or…

His porno book?


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 31

**Chapter 12**

Sakura's POV

I don't even know what to think anymore.

The last couple of days have been pure confusion.

I mean, I really like Sasuke – well, at least I think I do – but with the way things have been going, I'm starting to doubt myself.

What happened on Tuesday – when Sasuke kissed me in the projector room – confounded the hell out of me. And the conversation I overheard? I think it just made Sasuke mad at me (if he isn't already…).

On Wednesday, when I had my Math exam – which I think I did very well on – Sasuke acted the same as he did the day before. Not that he was in my class, but when I saw him in the halls and stuff; it was like I didn't even exist.

Wednesday night, my father made me even more stressed with the Sasuke situation. He said that the Carters were having a business/Christmas party on Friday, and that children were encouraged to come. I pointed out that I wasn't exactly I child. He said that Sasuke would be there too, so it would be just fine. I guess he assumed that we were friends or something – but he was so wrong. I tried to get out of going to the party, with excuses like 'Why isn't Puriti forced to go?' but when he mentioned Sarah and her broken leg, I realized it would probably be the only chance I had to see her and to know if she was alright before Christmas break started. But then again, Sasuke was a big obstacle in this decision – he was being his stupid, ignorant, mean self and he would be at the party too.

So for the time being, I told my dad I would go to the party, but I still left my true decision hanging in the air.

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Sasuke POV

Sasuke was currently painting unicorns.

_Unicorns_.

Never had Sasuke ever thought that he would paint a unicorn, let alone a whole herd in 12 magical different colours.

But it was one of the things Sarah had asked him to do. Actually, it was one of the many things Sarah had asked him to do – and Sasuke felt as if he had to do them all, because after all, it was his fault for her leg being broken, so decorating the her cast with _unicorns_ was the least he could do.

If he was actually watching, _life-guarding_, as he was supposed to be doing, Sarah would be fine. If he had been paying any attention at all, he could have stopped her from even going to the deep end of the pool. If his eyes hadn't been fucking glued to Sakura…

Lately this is where all of his thoughts seemed to be going to – Sakura. There probably wasn't one hour where a part of her would be lingering in his mind, taunting him with another kiss like the one he had the previous day.

And what a kiss it was.

Sasuke was right about a part of his theory – he really wanted to touch her and it had to somehow be satisfied – but what he wasn't prepared for was the fact that he wanted _more._ Way more.

But he had to control himself. He had to make sure he didn't make another mistake like that again.

But then, was it really a mistake in the first place?

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Sakura POV

You know what's weird? I haven't had a car in over 41 days, and I've been managing pretty well. I would get the occasional drives from my parents, Hinata always offered to drive me home from school, Puriti intermittently drove me places, and I sometimes got a ride with Naruto.

And even though I desperately want my own car again, I wasn't dying without it.

Except on Thursday, when it was my English exam, I desperately needed a car.

I was sitting in the hall in front of my locker with Ino and Hinata doing some last minute studying. Earlier that day I was being ignored by Sasuke, who didn't even acknowledge by presence when I asked about Sarah again. It was 20 minutes to our exam, and we all started to go into our respective classrooms, when I realized I couldn't find my copy of Macbeth. This is when it would have been good to have a car, because it was an open-book exam, and without my book, I would most likely fail. Big time.

So I started freaking out, frantically tearing through all my bags and books, trying to find that one piece of fricken literature that would determine my failing or passing. Ino and Hinata helped me look for it, but that was all they could do – time was running out and if they gave me their book, they would fail. And by the time I searched through everything of mine and _didn't_ find it, I was one of the last people in the hall.

So I was in big trouble.

Until someone walked by and dropped something on my lap. I looked down to see a copy of Macbeth.

What?

I quickly glanced around to see my savior – but I only saw one other person in the hall.

Walking away, with his back towards me, I noticed the familiar black, spiky, disheveled hair and a dark blue top with a high collar. He turned and entered an examination classroom.

_Sasuke?_

There was one way I could find out it if was really him who saved me – I flipped to the back of the front cover and saw the neat and trim scroll reading, _Sasuke Uchiha_.

So he did give me his book. But why? I mean, wasn't he mad at me? Wasn't he ignoring my existence?

Then how could he have known that I needed a book? Why would he give me his? Wouldn't he fail without it?

I took a quick look around the hall, but he was gone by the time my head was up.

So he _did_ lend me his book – for reasons unknown to me – but should I use it?

The answer was yes, because it was only a couple of minutes until the exam started, I needed a book, and I wasn't even in my classroom yet.

So I used the book. And man, was it helpful – I definitely would have failed without it. But then, didn't Sasuke? He gave me his book at the risk of failure, but why?

I would have to return it to him with a HUGE thank you.

But when I tried to find him after the exam, he was already gone.

And the only other time I would see him before the Christmas break was at his parents' party the next day.

So that solved another decision – I was going to the Carter Christmas Party.

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Sasuke POV

Sasuke wasn't exactly sure why he lent his book to Sakura. He had tried to come up with some sort of reasoning for it, but he only came up with 3 possibilities.

One, he felt sorry (almost) for confusing the shit out of her in the projector room.

Two, he didn't need the book anyway, he could pass the exam even with his eyes closed, so why not?

And Three, it was something in the way she frantically searched around, her eyes wide and movements frenetic, that possibly appealed to his… better nature (if that's what you could call it).

But the real reason, the fourth reason, was one only his subconscious could figure out- it was almost a _personal_ invitation to the Carter Party.

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Sakura POV

Wearing a simple black dress and holding a purse that held Sasuke's book and Sarah's card, I entered the Carter mansion with my father.

After greetings and introductions, I was told to go down to the basement where all the other 'youths' were, and I was kind of excited, because I had never been to any where on the lower floors of the mansion.

So I eagerly made my way down the stairs to see the most awesome basement ever.

There were pool tables, foosball tables, air hockey tables, TV's, crazy big speakers, a bar, and even a small stage with a karaoke machine; and it was all nicely organized to look like some sort of pub.

Except this pub housed kids. Tons of kids. Everywhere.

They were all over every piece of equipment that I previously described, and still there were more.

Some smaller kids were over playing dress-up with Sarah and admiring her cast as she told the story on how she broke her leg, and some girls who looked to be a couple years younger than I was were sitting on one of the couches, fluttering their eyelashes and pointing to Sasuke- who was a little ways away from Sarah, keeping an eye on her and completely ignoring everyone else.

I decided to make my way over to Sarah and see how she was doing – the incident that happened on Thursday gave me enough resolution to inference that Sasuke didn't hate me or was completely ignoring me as well.

"Look! There she is!" I heard Sarah's voice shout once I got closer to her group. The girls around her turned to see what she was pointing at.

"Hey Sarah, I'm glad to see you're okay," I greeted, wary of Sasuke's presence, "Is your leg feeling alright?"

"Yeah! Look! I got unicorns on my cast! Sasuke did them for me!"

My eyes flickered to Sasuke quickly, and then back to Sarah. "Wow, those are pretty. Here, I have something for you," and I held out the card I made for her.

Sarah snatched it out of my hands in anticipation, and when she opened it to see the drawing inside she let out a "Wow! See? I told you Sakura was the best!"

The other girls whispered to each other and I heard a couple of 'Oohs' and 'Aahs' – I'm glad to know I'm popular in the younger crowd- more baby sitting opportunities.

Then one of the girls whispered into Sarah's ear, and Sarah answered out loud.

"Yeah! Let's dress her up like Rock star Barbie!"

The other girls agreed with cheers. I suddenly knew it was the wrong thing, greeting Sarah and her friends.

The girls were pulling me towards the dress up box when suddenly they stopped to a deep, smooth but warning voice.

"Sarah." It was Sasuke. He was calmly watching from where he was leaning against the wall.

"All right, I remember, I'll behave." She answered with bitter conviction, looking at her brother. She then turned to her friends and apologized, "Sorry, we can't dress up Sakura. Stupid-head," she pointed her thumb at her brother, "said I have to behave real good during the party."

I let out a sigh of relief and once the girls let go of me, I hesitantly walked over to where Sasuke was.

After a long stretch of awkward silence, I handed Macbeth over to Sasuke.

"Um, thanks a lot for the book, uh, I really would have failed if you hadn't, um, lent it to me."

Sasuke didn't reply, nor did he make eye contact – he just took the book and continued to observe the party.

A million things were running through my head right then – what should I say? What should I do? Think of something! Quick! Maybe I should apologize? For what though? Maybe I should say something funny – no, it would come out dorky! What the hell should I do?

Then, I swear a light bulb appeared over my head because I had an excellent idea of what to say.

"So… I bought Star Wars Battlefront 2."

This time Sasuke did look at me, even if it was out of the corner of his eye.

And there was a mischievous glint to them too.

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"How do you do that!?" I yelled in frustration as Sasuke, once again, beat me.

After my conversation starter, Sasuke and I snuck up to his room and I found myself playing X-box with him. We had played for hours, and I was losing. Badly. At least I was becoming more comfortable around him- enough to yell and whine about my poor skills and lack of coordination with videogames.

"I give up, this is ridiculous," I announced and tossed my controller in Sasuke's direction, crossing my arms and staring stubbornly at the TV afterwards.

What I didn't expect was to have the controller thrown back onto my lap again. I looked to Sasuke, surprised, and saw him starting another round of Star Wars- and smirking.

I gave him a quick cut-eye, picked up my controller, and continued to play. I lost again – all because of Sasuke doing some crazy ending move where he killed a bunch of people really quickly.

"How do you _do_ that!?" I half-yelled in frustration. This must be feeding his ego an all you can eat buffet.

Sasuke looked at me, raised an eyebrow, and slanted his controller towards me, where I could see his fingers pressing down on the buttons for the combination of his crazy ending move.

"Hold on, let me see that," I asked and slid a little closer towards him on the couch to get a better look at his controller.

What I didn't realize was _how_ close that brought me to Sasuke.

"That's it?" I started surprised that it was that easy to win the game. I tilted my head up to look at him trying to sense if he was lying or not.

But he was staring right back at me.

"It's that easy?" I asked for confirmation.

He smirked. My heart raced.

"That's all I have to do to win?"

"If you can even beat me," came his low, smooth, cocky murmur.

"Yeah, well…" It took a couple of seconds to gather myself. I could barely breathe after he spoke. "Start another game and we'll see about that." I said with false confidence as I looked up at him again.

But we never did start another game. Instead, with our faces so close to each other already, he quickly leaned in, and kissed me.

I let go of the controller out of surprise, and let it fall to the ground. Sasuke did the same with his, accept instead of surprise, it was to free his hands – which were suddenly on the back of my head and waist.

I then felt myself just as eagerly returning the kiss, after all, I never wanted to stop in the storage room. I never wanted to stop ever.

Before I even knew it, I found my back against the leather seat of the couch, with Sasuke on top of me. I didn't know what to do with my hands, so at first they stayed pressed up against his chest, and then, as he urged me to, found their way around his neck. At one moment, I had enough confidence to slide a hand down to his shirt, to feel the stomach and abs that I spend half of my time staring at when I'm with him.

Sasuke's hands were a completely different story though. They were everywhere. In my hair, around my neck, on my waist, on my legs, too close to the hem of my dress. But they moved so often I eventually let go of focusing on them and moved to focusing on more important things, like his mouth. Even when those hands wandered a little closer to my chest than I would have liked, at that moment it was hard to even notice let alone form any type of protest.

This had to be the longest kiss I've ever had with him. But I didn't really notice that at the time (how could I?).

What I did notice was a voice calling Sasuke's name. And then my name.

And it was coming from outside his room.

Sasuke slowly broke away, though he didn't get completely off of me. Breathing hard, he let his head drop so his forehead was resting on the cushion beside mine, as if reluctant to stop.

And though that idea made me happy, I was overwhelmed with nervousness when the voices came closer, and I heard footsteps nearing the door.

It was just at the last second before the door opened to reveal Mrs. Carter, when we both sat up properly in a rush.

"Sorry to interrupt your fun, but Sakura, your Dad is ready to leave now," Mrs. Carter said, giving a soft smile.

"Uh…" I was still a little dumbstruck, "Oh, yeah, okay, um, sure," Wow, I must have sounded cool. I shook my head to clear my thoughts and then rushed out, 'uh, bye Sasuke."

And I grabbed my purse and hurried out of the room, with two pairs of eyes following me.

I didn't see the suspecting look Mrs. Carter gave to her adopted son when I left.

I also didn't see how ruffled my dress and my hair was until I saw my reflection in the mirror of my room.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 32

**Chapter 13**

Sakura's POV

"What!?"

"Well, I thought you already knew, I mean, it's your house too."

"How would I know!?"

"Didn't I tell you yesterday?"

"No! You didn't even _talk_ to me yesterday!"

"Yes I did – remember when I asked you-"

"To pass you a spoon!? That doesn't qualify for talking to me, let alone telling me what's happening tonight!"

"It's going to be fine, stop freaking out."

"But mom and dad aren't going to be home tonight – they've already gone! Remember? They're gone to some Christmas party!"

"Which is _exactly_ why it's going to be fine."

"Which is _exactly_ why it's NOT going to be fine!"

"You are so young and naïve…"

"Don't even _pull_ that shit with me!"

"You're such a spaz."

"_YOU_ are such an _IDIOT!_"

"See? A spaz."

"I think I have _every_ right to spaz!"

"Just because I didn't tell you-"

_DING DONG!_

Our heads whipped towards the front door.

"It's already started!?"

"Relax, it's just the delivery guys."

"Delivery guys!?"

"Ugh, just let me answer the door." Puriti gave me an irritated glance before heading towards the front hall.

"What the hell are they delivering!?" I yelled and followed her out of the kitchen, where I had recently found out that my dear sister had planned a party tonight- at our house.

"Loosen up, will you? Go get dressed or something – I put your outfit on your bed."

"My outfit?"

"Duh, you can't go to your own party wearing _that_."

I looked down at my sweats and then back at Puriti. Then I ran at top speed up to my room to find my so called outfit.

But I looked back from the top of the stairs, just in time to see two men lugging case after case of what could only be alcohol.

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"You have got to be kidding me." I said, as I looked at myself in the mirror. Puriti stood behind me, admiring her work. Samuel was nervously winding around our legs- I don't think he liked the two strangers lugging foreign objects into his territory.

"What are you talking about? It looks great! _Sexalicious_ as one would say." She said proudly, and made me turn towards her so she could do my make-up.

"As one would say?" I repeated sarcastically.

"Don't be such a Negative Nancy. Look up," She said and applied a thick coat of mascara to my eyelashes.

"Negative Nancy?" I raised my eyebrows.

"You look fine Sakura, really hot, okay? Any guy would kill to bag you. Close your eyes," she replied, and brushed my eyelids with colour.

"Kill to bag me?" I dead-panned; Puriti was getting ridiculous.

"Would you stop repeating what I say? You. Look. Fine."

"Ugh, Puriti? This really isn't my thing."

"For the _last time_. Relax. Just take a look at yourself in the mirror again.

I reluctantly obeyed, and turned to observe the final product of Puriti's make-over.

I was wearing shiny black high heels and a small black skirt. My top was a sparkly pink and went down a good three or four inches above my navel. My hair was straightened as usual, except with streaks of wash-out hair-dye. And my make-up was heavily applied, especially around the eyes.

"I look like a whore." I stated bluntly.(A/N sorry to put this here, but I don't want anyone to get offended by what sakura is saying – she actually looks good, not like a whore, except she's all shy and conservative...ish so that's why she feels that way)

"You do not!" Puriti shouted, offended, "Seriously, you look really, really hot. If you weren't my sister, I would question my sexuality."

I gave her 'a look'. You know, part cut-eye, part 'you are unbelievable'.

"Oh my god Sakura, would you just listen to me, you look good – I mean how many times do I have to-" The doorbell rang again, cutting Puriti off. "Now the party starts," she grinned and ran for the door.

"Purtiti!" I yelled after her, but she didn't listen. I chased her to the stairs and called her name again. This time she turned around, truly annoyed.

"Okay, Sakura, get over yourself, I'm having a party, and if you don't want to come, you can stay locked up in your room, but come on. It's Christmas break – officially! School is out for two weeks! Celebrate a little," She explained, and then went to answer the doorbell.

I took a hesitant step towards the stairs, but then walked back towards my room.

"I'm not coming down," I said, but I'm not sure if she heard me.

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I had been in my room for over 4 hours. The party 'started' at around 8:00, and the music started to blast at around 9:00. By 11:00 I assumed the whole neighborhood could hear the party.

There were multiple times when someone, or a frisky couple, would open my door, find it occupied and stumble out. I ended up putting a chair under the doorknob to block any further unwanted entries.

Samuel, terrified by all of the noise and commotion, kept to hiding under my bed and meowing discontentedly. At first I let him be, but after an hour I became bored and for my own selfish purposes, decided I wanted company. It took a while to coax him from his hide-out, and when I did, he kept to being attached to my hip- I had to hold him or he'd bolt to the bed again. At least I wasn't alone anymore for the rest of the three hours I was in my room.

At midnight, Puriti came stumbling up the stairs and tumbling into my room- well, into my door. She knocked nonstop saying 'Sakura, it's me! Puriti!" until I removed the chair and opened the door. Samuel had wiggled and scratched his way out of my arms out of fright, taking residence in his safe-house (under my bed).

"You should _so_ be down there," she slurred when she entered; her cheeks were flushed and her expression exuberant. Yup, she was drunk.

"I already told you, I'm not leaving my room." I answered stubbornly.

"Aw, come on Sakura, it is _so_ much fun," she replied, leaning against me for support.

"No."

"Fine, but you're missing out – there is this _really_ hot guy down there. Oh my god, he has these onyx eyes that like, bore into you and stuff, and his hair is so fucking hot – it's like black and spiky. Oh! And he has this whole mood that's like 'Fuck you'- which is so F-ing sexy- and – hey, do think I can bag him?"

I didn't even hear the last part of her sentence – I was on my way down the stairs.

This guy that she was talking about sounded _a lot_ like Sasuke, and if it was, then I know what he would do at a party as big as this. And there was no way my sister was getting him. No way.

Not after last night at the Carter's Christmas party – not after he was so nice to me (well, he wasn't nice, but he wasn't mean…), and not after we friggin made out on his couch. Puriti was not getting him.

Not a chance.

But when I got to the bottom of the stairs, I couldn't see Sasuke. Actually, I couldn't see anything.

Only a couple of lights were on, plus the disco lights Puriti set up. It was also noisy. Very noisy – but the music was quiet enough to at least to hear some dialogue. And there were people – lot's of people. And these people were either dancing, talking (more like yelling because the music was so loud), drinking (I'm betting alcohol), or all three.

In simple terms, it was chaos.

"Where is he!?" I shouted over the music to Puriti, who followed me down the stairs, giggling.

"What?!" she asked, "I can't hear you!"

I pulled us away from the speakers to a quieter part of the room – well, the quietist part, everything was so boisterous.

"Where is he?" I repeated, except this time she could hear me.

"Who?"

"Sasuke, you said he was here!" I replied, getting annoyed.

"Oh! I just said that so you would come and join the par-tay!" she replied, and burst into a drunken laughter.

"You mean he's not here?" I asked, confused.

"What? No – I said that so you would come dance with me!" She took my hands and started dancing. I ripped them away.

"Puriti!" I yelled at her. Note: never trust my sister, especially when she is drunk.

"Move to the music!" And she grabbed my arms again and made me dance with her.

"I'm going back upstairs if-"

I was cut off by my drunk sister. "Oh! I know who you can dance with! Sai!"

And she dragged me towards a guy who looked to be my age- and he was kind of handsome. Dark hair, dark eyes, and a smile on his face. Kind of resembles someone I know…

There wasn't even time for introductions, she just pushed us together and Sai started moving to the music – while holding on to me.

I have to admit, it was pretty fun, and as the songs progressed, I started loosening up a bit.

But just as I was getting comfortable, Sai suddenly stopped. I turned to look at his face and saw that he was staring at something – something that made him back away from me with his hands up and disappear into the crowd. I followed where his gaze had been, and it lead straight to a very angry, menacing looking Sasuke.

Sasuke.

He was here at my party – maybe Puriti wasn't lying.

When Sasuke's eyes left where Sai had been, they turned to me, and lost there hostile look. A quick emotion flickered through his eyes, one that looked _hungry _– but it was gone as soon as it came.

And then he tracked towards me, not looking angry, but not looking happy either.

I was like a deer in headlights, and didn't move until the last possible moment – and that was to back away, because he almost looked as if he were _stalking_ me.

I soon found myself against a wall, watching as the Uchiha followed me to my destination.

But then a thought hit me – why am I so afraid of him?

Sasuke didn't stop once he was in front of me, he moved so close that I could feel his breath on my face, and it smelled heavily of alcohol.

Oh yeah, that's why I was afraid of him.

"What the fuck did you think you were doing?" He asked in a low voice, his hands on the wall on either side of my head.

"What?" I squeaked. He was _really_ close.

"What the _fuck_ were you doing?" He asked again, and leaned in so close that our noses were practically touching. I put my hands on his chest to try and keep some distance – even when he was drunk he still made me feel a little dizzy.

"I don't know what you-" I started, but I was cut off.

"You can't dance with anyone." He said as one of the hands on the wall moved to my thigh.

"You can't just say that-"

"You can't _fucking dance with anyone_." His teeth were clenched together as he said this, and the hand on my thigh started to move upwards.

"I don't understand-"

That hungry look flashed in his eyes again, and he pressed me up against the wall – I could feel every part of his body against me – except that hand on my thigh kept on movie upward.

"You fucking can't dance with anyone else." He said this against the side of my neck – his lips brushing my skin as he spoke.

I was too stunned to answer this time.

"You're not _allowed_ to dance with anyone else." And that hand reached under my skirt.

What he said caught my attention – not allowed? What's that's supposed to mean?

I voiced my question.

This seemed to anger him somewhat, because he pressed so hard against me I could barely breath – I had to remove my hands from his chest so they wouldn't get squished.

He said these next words right up against my ear, and the hand on my thigh moved to my but – which was thankfully still clad in underwear. I gasped at his movement, but was still too shocked to do anything.

"You. Fucking. Aren't. Allowed. To. Dance. With. Any. One. Else."

And then everything after that moved so fast.

The hand on my but gripped what was there, and then my body moved before my mind reacted.

I slapped him in the face. Hard.

And I immediately regretted it.

Sasuke stumbled back out of surprise (though I'd like to think it was something to do with the force I put behind my hand), heck – I was surprised, and he gave me the coldest glare _ever_, and then stormed through the crowds of people and to the front door.

I was left there, frozen, with my hands covering my mouth and my eyes wide, for about three seconds after I lost sight of Sasuke. Then I ran at top speed to find him again.

I reached the front door to see it was already open (maybe it was never closed in the first place) and went outside.

I saw Sasuke tripping across my front lawn to his car that was parked on the side of the road.

I ran towards him and grabbed on to his shirt. "I didn't mean to! I'm sorry! It just happened and-"

"Fuck off." He said, but didn't stop his trek to his car – even with me holding onto him.

"No, please, I'm so sorry, it was a big mistake-"

"Get the fuck away from me." We had reached his car and he was fumbling for his keys in his pocket.

"You're not driving, are you?! You're drunk!" I yelled, appalled.

Sasuke didn't answer, but tried to fit his key into the lock on the door – and he was failing miserably.

"Stop! You can't drive like that! You can't even get the key into the lock!"

He glared at me, glared at his keys, and then realized that there was an unlock button, and pressed it.

"No way, I am not letting you drive," and I snatched the keys out of his hands.

"What the fuck," he turned to me, eyes angry.

"You're drunk!"

"Give me the keys." He said, trying to sound calm.

"You can't drive; I'm not giving them back."

"Give me the damn keys."

"I can't." My voice was shaky, I never had stood up to Sasuke before.

"Sakura," he growled, and I almost fell unconscious- the sound of my name, the way he said it, made me so light headed. My stomach was twisting in happy but nervous knots.

"No." I breathed, trying to regain my resolve.

"Give me the fucking-"

"I said no-"

He suddenly attacked my lips with his. Random, right? Well he apparently had a purpose behind it. When he kissed me, I let my guard down- majorly- and that's when he stole the keys back from me.

"What?" I was dazed, and in this state, Sasuke got to opening his door and getting into his seat. My brain caught up with my body when he was trying (and failing) to fit the keys into the ignition.

"Stop!" I yelled, and in a sudden panic, that Sasuke was going to leave, and that he was going to drive drunk, I literally jumped onto his lap, and fought for the keys in his hands.

That's when the yelling started.

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Sasuke POV

Sasuke's mind was hazy, and his subconscious seemed to be taking over the majority of his mind. The fact that Sakura was all over him didn't make it any easier either.

_Why are you doing this?_

"What the fuck is your problem!?" He yelled at her. She had just climbed onto his lap and was trying to pry the keys from his hands.

"You are asking me that question?! You are the one drinking and driving!" She yelled back, not missing a beat, and still wrestling for the keys.

_So what if I'm drunk._

"I don't fucking care!"

"Well I do!"

_Just go away._

"Get the fuck off of me!"

"No! I'm not letting you drive!"

_Why don't you get it?_

"What the hell is wrong with you!?"

"What the hell is wrong with _me_!? You're the one pulling all this 'you can't dance with anyone' shit!"

_Why don't you understand?_

"Because you can't!"

"I can do what ever I want!"

_No you can't – not with anyone else._

"No you can't! You're not allowed!"

"What does that even mean!?"

_I already told you!_

"You're just not allowed to!"

"Why not!?"

_Because I don't want you with anyone else._

"Because!"

"Why not!?"

_Because I don't like it when you're with anyone else._

"Because!"

"Why not!?"

_Because you can't be with anyone else._

"BECAUSE!"

"WHY NOT!?

_Because you can't be with anyone else unless it's with me._

"BECAUSE YOU CAN'T BE WITH ANYONE UNLESS IT'S WITH ME!"

_Fuck. Shit._

_I wasn't supposed to say that._

"What?" Her struggling immediately ceased.

_That wasn't supposed to come out._

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Sakura POV

All the fight left me when I heard his words. I sat still on his lap, shocked, and let go of his hand that held the keys. Sasuke took this time to push me out of the car, and I stumbled to a standing position. But all I could do was stare at him.

He then closed the door, and turned on the ignition.

The car lights flashed on and he pushed on the pedal.

The car accelerated, swerved, and hit into a group of garbage cans in front of someone's lawn – not hard, but enough to make him hit the breaks and stay like that for a long time.

And I was still frozen. Those words he said were repeating in my head over and over again.

Then, the car lights turned off, and Sasuke stepped out of the Maserati.

I watched from the distance of where I was still unmoving, as Sasuke walked around to the passenger's side and got in.

It took a couple of minutes until my mind was somewhat functional.

I ran over to the Maserati Diablo and peered in the driver's window.

Sasuke had occupied the passenger seat, and sat there with his arms crossed, waiting.

Waiting for what though?

It became clear when he glared at me, glared at the keys in the ignition, and then glared straight ahead again.

He wanted me to drive.

I slowly opened the car door and slid into the seat. Even though I should have been excited to finally be able to drive the Maserati – my whole body felt numb from the words he had said, and to what had just happened.

I glanced at Sasuke quickly, before closing the door and starting the ignition with shaking hands.

It was all so surreal, it was hard to believe I wasn't dreaming.

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My hands were still shaking as I drove the Maserati Diablo. Not only was I stupefied by Sasuke's actions, let alone words, but the pressure of driving _the_ Maserati and not damaging it added a whole new load onto my shoulders. It also didn't help that Sasuke was sitting beside me, angry, drunk, and brooding with his arms crossed and his eyes glaring straight ahead. The only time he moved from that position was when he turned and glared at me when I asked him if he was going to put on his seatbelt.

The rest of the car ride was in silence, and it was only until we reached the Carter mansion that we conversed. Well, if you could call it conversing.

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Sasuke POV

"Do you, um, need help?"

_Yes._

"No."

Sakura had pulled into the driveway and gotten out of the car. It had taken a little bit of effort and a lot more time for Sasuke to do the same.

First, he had to locate the door handle, which was a little disorienting on the passengers side.  
Then, he had to actually stand up- this took a lot of time considering the fact that his head spun every time he moved. The hardest part was to move away from the car so he could close the door, but he couldn't keep his balance in time to do so. When this task was completed, he decided that he would walk to the front door.

The only problem was, he couldn't – a wave of nausea had hit him when he tried to take his first step. Quickly finding balance, Sasuke placed his hands on the side of the Maserati and waited for the feeling to pass. That was when Sakura had asked if he needed help.

Deciding that he didn't want to degrade his pride anymore, he stood up straight and started to walk towards the front door.

But the effort required to do so was massive. In simple terms, the pattern of the Uchiha's journey went as follows.

Step. Stumble. Step. Almost loses balance, but regains it just in time. Swears. Stays in one spot for a couple of seconds to clear head. Step. Trip, but doesn't fall. Swears. Step. Stumble. Step.

In the five minutes that it took to do this, Sasuke had only moved a couple of feet.

"Sasuke?" Came a squeak to his left.

_Come closer._

"Fuck off."

"Are you sure you don't need help?"

_No, I need you here._

"Shit. Just go home."

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Sakura POV

I did the exact opposite. Instead of going home, I walked up to him, slung one of his arms around my shoulder and helped him to the front door – ignoring all of the curses that flew out of his mouth. I know it was a little confident for me, but frankly, he looked ridiculous trying to get his front door. And I wasn't about to leave him even when we got into the house – if he could barely walk, how would he get to his room? And what if one of his parents saw him?

That's why, once we got into his house, I had to pretend like everything was normal – I didn't want the house staff or his parents to know that Sasuke was drunk; though it was a little difficult with Sasuke leaning heavily on my shoulder.

"I forgot my wallet in your room, I'll just go grab it now," I lied, speaking a little louder than usual in case any house staff was near by.

"What the fuck?" He said, his mouth against my shoulder. I shivered, but I don't think he noticed.

"Okay, uh, let's get to your room," I started to walk while half dragging him with me.

The stairs were quite an obstacle to overcome. Sasuke had limited usage of his legs, which meant most of his weight and balance was forced onto me. I'm not sure if he was even aware of it because he would move his feet as if he were walking on his own.

What made it even harder was not the fact that he leaned on me – but _how_ he leaned on me. His body was angled, so that half of his chest was touching my side, and his head rested near the area of my collar bone. That meant I could feel every breath he took against my skin, as well as the brush of his lips when he mumbled a profanity or something of the sort.

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Sasuke POV

It was a little disappointing when they reached Sasuke's room – Sakura let him stand on his own, when truthfully, Sasuke didn't want to pull away.

It seemed that there were two sides arguing in his mind. One wanted to be closer to Sakura and to have her help him, but the other side – the more dominant side – couldn't stand his ego being bruised any more, and wanted her to leave before he did anything else idiotic.

The dominant side won though, when she asked if he needed help getting to his bed.

_I'd rather go to the couch_.

"I'm not a fucking shit-head." He answered, and stumbled over to the ladder.

Without hesitation, he started climbing the rungs – confident that he could do it himself. But on the second rung, when his head spun at the sudden movements, his foot slipped and he hit his chin hard on the one near his hands.

"Fucking whore monger!" He yelled at the ladder as he stumbled back, holding his jaw.

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Sakura POV

"Oh my god!" I witnessed the whole scene from where I let him go at the doorway to his room.

"Fucking piece of shit!" He yelled again at the ladder as I ran over to him.

"Ssssshhhhh! Your parents or someone will hear!" I whispered.

"Fucker," he said more quietly this time, and I lead him over to the couch I almost smiled to the way he obeyed me.

"Does it hurt?" I asked as we sat down, but he only glared in return.

"What the fuck do you think?"

"Sorry, I didn't..." I trailed off when he glared at me again.

"Fuck," he breathed, rubbing his jaw.

"Let me see," I asked, and leaned over to him.

This time he didn't glare, but watched me as I smoothed over the area with my hand – this caused major butterflies in my stomach. Why was I even doing this? This was the cheesy type of thing that only happened in movies.

"That is going to be a definite bruise," I said, trying to occupy the silence. When he didn't answer, I looked up at him.

It wasn't until then that I realized how close we were – again, on his couch – and the thought gave me a tingling sensation.

"Sasuke?" I asked; he still continued to stare at me in silence.

The next words were pretty difficult and embarrassing to say, but he was calm (enough), and listening (or so it seemed).

"What you said earlier..."

"Shut up." He cut in, and leaned towards me – my heartbeat started to race.

"I was just wanting to know if it was true, you know, because-"

"Shut the fuck up." Now he was really close.

"Because, well, maybe I like you back-"

"Just fucking be quiet," he cut in again, and his eyelids started to droop.

"I just wanted to know..."

For the third time he cut me off, except this time with his lips.

I have to say, it wasn't one of his better kisses – this one was a little sloppy. He kind of fell on me instead of laying me down like he did the last time we kissed on the couch. I didn't mind though – as long as it was him. Because what I said earlier, about me liking him, was true – very true in fact. It took a while to realize that because his mood was so different all the time, I wasn't sure whether it was his extreme attractiveness that I liked (which I really do), but his actual self as well.

If I think back on it, all those times when he flustered me, all the times when he embarrassed me – I liked it. And I still want him to fluster me, I still want him to be near me, and hell, I want him to kiss me.

But that kissing part wasn't going so well. Sasuke was either losing enthusiasm, or falling asleep, because his movements were getting slower, and he was getting heavier. His arms weren't supporting his weight, so his body was fully resting on top of mine, and his lips were no longer moving against mine. I opened my eyes to look at him, and what I saw was both ironic and disappointing.

Sasuke had passed out. And he was on top of me.

"Sasuke," I whispered, and shook his shoulder – which was pretty hard considering my hands were squished in between us.

"Sasuke," I whispered a little louder, and shook him even harder. He still wouldn't budge, and I doubt he'd be awakening any time soon.

And no matter how much I'd rather stay there, with him so close, there were consequences. How would Sasuke react waking up _on top of me?_ How would his parents react with me still there? And how would _my_ parents react?

So I had to get home, or at least out of the Carter house. And the first step in doing that was getting out from under Sasuke.

I slowly tried to shift myself to an angle so I could slide out and he could roll out, but that cause him to be on an angle. A very unstable angle.

I watched, horrified, as Sasuke tilted, rolled off of me, and fell to the ground in a heap.

"Shit!" I quickly scrambled off of the couch and knelt beside him. My hands fluttered in the air around him, unsure of what to do. I finally decided on heaving him into both of my hands, and lifting with all my might to get him back onto the couch. I got his upper body up first, and followed with his legs. Catching my breath – because he was heavy – I stood up and admired my work.

His face was blank, but almost serene, and with his eyes closed, he almost looked like and angel – I swear, he was that gorgeous. And I'm a little embarrassed to say, I ran my hands through his hair a couple of times – who knows when I'll be able to touch him again? Who knows if he'll even remember the incident? So that's why I took advantage of what I had. I'm not a creepy stalker or anything.

Okay maybe a little, and that thought made me want to leave the house before I came to any other random realizations. But how would I get home? I couldn't ask the Carters – they were either out, asleep, or wondering why Sasuke couldn't drive me. And I couldn't take the Maserati – once was enough for me, and how would I get it back? And I definitely wasn't going to walk home – not at one in the morning. Plus, the last time I walked, I got lost and Sasuke had to rescue me. The only other option was to call someone to get a ride.

So I tried my sister first.

"Hello!?"

"Hi, Puriti?"

"Hello!?"

"Puriti, it's me Sakura!"

"Hello!? I can't here you! Hello!?"

"Puriti! It's Sakura!"

"What?! Hello?!"

"Puriti It's-" But I was cut off by the dial tone. I guess the music was too loud or she was enjoying her party too much to hear me. Then I got an idea.

If the party turn out was so successful, than wouldn't the so called "party king" be there? Wouldn't Naruto be out, joining the fun?

So I called him next – on his cellphone.

"…Hello?" I heard a yawn from the other line.

"Hi, Naruto? It's Sakura."

"…Sakura?" Another yawn.

"Yeah, I was wondering if I could ask a favor of you."

"…It's 1 in the morning."

"Yeah, I'm aware of that. Listen, I'm at Sasuke's right now and-"

"Whoa, you're at Sasuke's?" He asked, sounding wide awake.

"Yes, I'm at Sasuke's. Now I need you to-"

"You didn't screw him did you?"

"What!? No!"

"Good, 'cause he's a bastard."

"Yeah, sure whatever, just listen. I need you to come and pick me up."

"Why? Not enjoying yourself?"

"It's a long story, just come and pick me up? I really need a ride."

"Do I have to?"

"Yes."

"…Fine."

"Thank you so much – I owe you."

"Yeah, yeah, just let me get dressed."

"…Were you sleeping?"

"No shit."

"You weren't at my party?"

"Nah, I had a date with Hina."

Hina? He already as a nickname for her? "Oh, well, I guess that's a good thing."

"Yeah, it was real fun, I took her to a movie and-"

"How about you tell me when you pick me up? I'm sorry, it's just I really need to get out of here."

"What's wrong?"

"Just come pick me up, I'll tell you then."

"Okay, okay, see you soon."

"Bye."

"Bye."

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I waited at the end of the Carter's driveway for Naruto to arrive. I didn't mean to be so rude on the phone, but I had to be quick. What if one of the house staff saw me? Or what if one of the Carters saw me? I mean, I didn't even know where they were – and what would they do if I was still at there house and Sasuke was asleep on the couch?

Oh well, it didn't matter because I was out of the house and Naruto just pulled up in his orange Lexus.

"Hey, thank you so much," I greeted when I opened the car door.

"Wow, Sakura! You look hot!"

"Er, what?" I looked down at myself and realized I was still wearing what Puriti dressed me up in. "Oh, um, thanks." I got into the car, embarrassed.

"So, what's the dillio?"

And as he drove me to my house, I explained most of what happened – leaving out minor things like Sasuke tricking me into getting the keys back. But I did tell him how Sasuke told me that he liked me and how he kissed me and stuff – I'm starting to think of Naruto as a really good friend, and who knows? Maybe he'll be good on guy advice.

Our conversation was cut short though, when he drove by my house. Two cop cars were in our driveway, along with one of our neighbors. I guess the party got too loud and 'disturbed the peace.'

"Uh, maybe we should keep driving," he offered and I nodded in agreement.

"…What should I do?" I asked. Naruto should have an answer – I mean he is experienced in the party area.

"Well, personally, I think you shouldn't go home."

"Oh."

"…You could stay at my house?"

I thought about that. It wouldn't be doing any harm, I mean, he offered it, and I wouldn't get in trouble.

"Er… okay," I agreed, and he turned around in the direction of his house.

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I had never been to Naruto's house – even when I was dating him. His house was under renovation, and when we pulled into the driveway, I saw it was still being redone.

"My room is kind of in the garage at the moment," He said, embarrassed, when we got out of the car.

"That's okay…"

There was an upper floor to the main garage, and that's where Naruto had a bed made of two mattresses stacked on top of each other.. I looked around the room to see a duffle bag of clothes, a small TV, and a laptop. Otherwise, it looked like a normal attic.

"It seems cozy," I offered.

"Uh, yeah… Do you need a set of clothes to change into?" He replied awkwardly.

I nodded, and took the baggy t-shirt and the pair of shorts that he handed to me.

"I won't look," he said, and turned around to unstack the mattresses so there was one for each of us.

"Hehe…" I quickly changed and set down my clothes. "Done."

Naruto turned around, looked me over, and laughed. "You look like you're drowning in them!"

I laughed too, and that sort of broke the awkward atmosphere.

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At the Carter Mansion.

Marie Carter entered the house after a long business party. Well, party wasn't quite how she would put it considering it was a very stressful 4 hours, and it gave her a headache by the time she left.

When she pulled into the driveway, she noticed something very odd- and this caused her to detour on her way to her bedroom.

Sasuke's Maserati was already parked and it was a Saturday night. Curious, she decided to check on her son, hence the detour.

The first thing she saw when she entered his room was Sasuke himself, lying on his couch. A closer look told her that he was asleep.

Smiling to herself, Marie walked over to his closet, took a blanket from one of the shelves, and brought it over to her sleeping son frowning slightly at the small stain she saw on the carpet as she passed by.

After snuggly tucking him in, she decided to give him a kiss on his forehead – some motherly instincts just couldn't be stopped. Besides, he wouldn't notice – he was fast asleep anyways.

"Goodnight," she whispered, brushing back the hair from his forehead, and she tip-toed from the room.

Another sweet surprise awaited her when she reached her own bedroom. Her husband was lying in bed, asleep, with her daughter, also asleep, snuggled into his arm. A bowl of half-eaten popcorn lay near them, and the TV was on playing reruns of Christmas specials.

Again, Marie smiled, her mood was certainly lifted and her headache was definitely gone.

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Sakura POV

When the lights were off and Naruto and I were in our respective beds, we simply talked – something that we really never did before. Our conversations brought up many facts that I didn't know before – like how Sasuke paid for Naruto's Lexus on his Sweet Sixteen, or how the Carters are paying for some of the renovations on his house. These were more points to reinforce my theory that Sasuke isn't really the complete bastard he makes out to be. And on the topic of Sasuke, well, I guess Naruto couldn't resist.

"So what are your intentions with my best friend?" I could hear the grin in his voice.

I laughed at his question. "I don't know," I answered truthfully.

"Hmmmm… Well, he does act differently around you, and I can already tell you, I approve."

"Approve?"

"Of you and Sasuke getting together. He may be the biggest asshole ever, but he's definitely, how do I say this, softer, around you."

"Naruto, I think those are the most intelligent words I've heard you say all year."

We both laughed a bit at that, and when it died down, I changed the topic slightly.

"So what are _your_ intentions with _my_ best friend?"

"You mean Hina?"

"Yes, _Hina _– I can't believe you've already got a nickname for her."

"It makes her smile when I say it." And I could tell from the way Naruto said it, that _he_ was smiling too.

"Well, I can tell you I approve."

"Ha, that's good to know."

"It is," I yawned, and snuggled deeper into the comforter.

Naruto yawned as well and then sighed, "Goodnight Sakura."

"Thanks for driving me and stuff..." I replied

"Yeah, you totally owe me."

"Hey, who was the one who helped you pass your exams?"

"Psh… whatever, night."

"Night."

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Sasuke POV

_Riiiiiiinnggg. Riiiiiinnng._

"Hello?" Sasuke answered in a monotonous voice.

"Hey bastard!" Came an obnoxious one from the other end of the line.

_Just what I need._

"Naruto."

"When you leaving for your cruise?"

_Maybe if I answer his questions he'll go away._

Sasuke sighed. "Two hours."

"Sarah still going?"

"Yes."

"Even with her broken leg?"

"Yes."

"Cool."

Sasuke sighed again. "What do you want?"

"Well, I just called to say that I slept with Sakura last night."

His grip on the phone suddenly became tighter, and his eyes widened.

_What?_

"…"

"Yup! I picked her up from your place, and she came to mine."

Sasuke balled his free hand into a fist.

_What?_

"…So?" He asked through clenched teeth.

"I guess she got bored with you or something, because she actually called me to come get her, and then I took her back to my place. We had a lot of fun actually."

Sasuke took a deep breath.

_Naruto fucked her!?_

"Why would I fucking care?"

"I dunno, I just thought I'd tell you."

Sasuke placed his index and thumb on the bridge of his nose.

_He just thought he'd tell me. Fucker._

"Well I don't give a damn."

"…Hey, Sasuke- you aren't _jealous_ are you?"

_What the fuck do you think!? Fucking shit._

Sasuke snorted. "No." Except he answered the question a little too quickly to sound truthful.

"But, you like her don't you?"

_Fuck._

"…"

"Sasuke?"

"What," he snapped, getting angry. Very angry.

"You like Sakura, right?"

_Maybe._

"Why the fuck do you care?"

"Well, she _did_ tell me that she liked you too."

_What?_

"…"

"It's true, she told me that she liked you."

_Then why did she sleep with you?_

"Then why did-" Sasuke cut himself off before he could give anything away.

"Okay, so you _do_ like her."

"I didn't say-"

"Well, have fun on your cruise, hope you have a good time-"

"Naruto-"

"Merry Christmas! Happy New Years!"

"Fuck! Naruto-"

"Oh, and Ididn'treallyscrewhershejuststayedoverbecausethecopswereatherhouse,andshereallydoeslikeyou! Bye!

"Naruto!" Sasuke yelled into the phone, but the dial tone was all that heard him.

"Fuck!" And for a moment, Sasuke felt like throwing his phone across the room. That is until two thoughts hit him.

_Naruto didn't fuck her- he was just joking._

_Sakura likes me._


	14. Chapter 14

Sakura POV

**Chapter 14**

Sakura's POV

The whole time I was at Naruto's, I learned a lot about him. For example, he was, like Sasuke, adopted – though not officially.

Iruka Umino is Naruto's guardian. I don't know much about him, except that he was somehow involved with Naruto's childhood. I first saw him when Naruto and I went into the untouched part of the house for breakfast. I only caught a glimpse though, because I saw him when he was leaving the house to go to work.

It's actually amazing how little I really knew about Naruto until now. I guess that's another reason on why we would never work out as a couple.

But I'll settle for really good friends.

Except for now.

"Naruto!" I yelled angrily, and slammed my fists against the bathroom door. He was on the other side – in the bathroom – talking to someone on the phone.

Except it wasn't _just_ someone. It was Sasuke.

"Get out here! Right now!" And I tried the doorknob again, though I knew it was locked.

The reason I was so angry with him wasn't the fact that he was talking to Sasuke – it was what he was _saying_ to Sasuke.

And I could hear things like 'I slept with …', and 'I guess she got bored with you…we had a lot of fun actually.'

Now these could be perfectly innocent words if one knew what had really happened. I mean I did sleep with Naruto last night, though all we _did_ was sleep. But the problem was that Naruto was putting this in a rather quirky perspective _and_ he was talking to Sasuke – who is a guy. And guys (like Sasuke) tend to take these words and twist them into a sexual sort of context. Especially when it's Naruto who's talking.

"Naruto! I'm serious! Get out-" The door swung open swiftly, cutting me off.

"I'm out, I'm out already," He said, grinning and holding up his hands – one of them gripping a cell phone.

"What the hell did you do!?" I yelled, and resisted the urge of ripping the phone out of his hands.

"It was just a joke!" He laughed, "I just told him I slept with you, that was all-"

"WHAT!?"

"Jeez, I even told him I was-" Before he even finished speaking, I really did rip the phone out of his hands.

I started freaking out as I searched for the 'redial' button. "I have to call him back! I have to call him back! I have to tell him that we didn't sleep together! I have to call him-"

"You can't." I heard Naruto say.

"What?" I looked up to him with wide eyes, my actions ceasing.

"You can't." He stated simply.

"What do you mean I can't?" I asked him, my body frozen.

"Well, he's leaving for his cruise soon, and he won't have time to answer a call. He might have already left."

"He's leaving for a cruise." I repeated, the words processing in my head.

"Yup."

"He's leaving for a cruise!?" I yelled suddenly, causing him to take a step backwards.

"Uh, yeah. Well, I… you see-"

"What am I going to do now!?" My voice took on the edge of hysteria.

"It's gonna be fine Sakura-"

"It is _so_ not going to be fine! He thinks we slept together! Now he's going to think that for – wait, how long is he even going for!?" Why didn't I know? Why wasn't I told? Sasuke was leaving for a cruise? I had _just_ gotten through to him!

Well, at least I think I did.

But _he_ thinks that I slept with Naruto! What's he going to do about that? Will he go and screw some other girl? Oh my god – there are going to be other girls on the cruise! I won't be there to defend my status! What if somebody takes him? What if he completely doesn't even think about me? What if he doesn't even remember what happened last night!? Because then all he'll have is Naruto's word, and Naruto's word is _not_ a very good thing.

"Chill." Naruto said, and put both of his hands on my shoulders. "Now, breathe." I followed his orders and took a deep breath.

"Kay, Sasuke may be the biggest asshole in history, but when I was talking with him on the phone, he seemed real jealous when I said we slept together." Naruto's voice was actually calming – not its usual hyper character. He then took his phone out of my grasp, pocketed it, and then his voice turned suddenly happy again. "Kay? Don't worry about it; someone has got to teach you to relax or something."

Naruto's words worked through my mind, and though I became much calmer, the feeling of worry and anxiety did not leave – even when he mentioned that Sasuke sounded jealous.

"Ok, I'm good now," I half lied, and we went back to the kitchen.

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"Hey Sakura," Naruto said as he looked over towards me, "I'm really sorry about calling Sasuke earlier."

I turned to him, a small smile on my lips, "It's okay, I'll live…um… thanks for letting me spend the night…" I took off my seatbelt and went to open the door.

"No really, I feel really, really bad." He replied from the driver's seat, one hand tapping the steering wheel nervously.

"It's fine, _really_," I faked another smile, but I guess Naruto saw through it to the anxiety I was really experiencing. I mean, I think he'd have to be an actual total idiot to not pick up on the way I was completely somber on the whole ride to my place.

"Seriously," He rubbed the back of his head, "I really shouldn't have done it, it was really stupid, I was being an asshole."

"It's okay, I was just over exaggerating," I said, though really it was only to appease him. "Thanks for giving me a ride home too." And I opened the car door, got out, and made my way towards my house.

"Hey, wait," I turned around to see Naruto unrolling the window, "Uh, Hina and I were going to go to the zoo today, want to join us?"

"The zoo?" I was a little thrown off by that random request.

"Well, yeah… Hina wanted to go," he gave a hopeful smile.

"I don't know…" Well, if Naruto felt _that_ bad about calling Sasuke, then maybe I should go, just to pacify him. I was a little hesitant in answering though – I'd be the awkward third wheel.

"Please?" He called from the car.

"Uh….sure. Why not." I answered. "Just let me get changed and tell my parents."

Naruto immediately brightened, "Okay!"

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"I freakin' get it, mom, you don't have to say things a gazillion times over-"

"It seems I have to say things a 'gazillion' times over for you to get anything through your head. And don't you speak to me like that young lady."

"Everyone there was over the legal age, it's not like we were doing anything wrong-"

"Wrong? Of course something was wrong. Mrs. Archer brought the _police_ over. The _police_. So don't tell me that you weren't doing anything wrong."

"So the party got a little out of hand-"

"A little?"

"- all the cops did was telling us to turn down the music down, no big."

"You could have gotten fined for disturbing the peace."

"Get real, mom. All we had to do was turn the music down. Other than that, I don't see a real reason to explode on me about the party."

"Oh, so you think I enjoy coming home to find my youngest child gone and my eldest hosting a party? Do think I enjoy finding strangers passed out on our furniture and beer bottles on every surface of the house? Do you think that I-"

"Ugh, dad wasn't spazzing out like you are when he found out."

"Do not compare me to your father!"

"See? A spaz."

"Go to your room."

"You can't order me around – I'm a legal adult."

"You certainly don't act like an adult-"

The front door closed behind me a little louder than I would have liked, catching my mother's and my sister's attention. I froze in place and prepared for my mom's wrath.

"And where were you?" She snapped at me.

"Um… I was at Hinata's…" I lied, and hoped she would believe it. My mom stared at me with suspicious eyes.

"Then why are you dressed like…" She gave me a once over and then continued bitterly, "Puriti?"

"Uh…" I wracked my brain for an answer as Puriti let out a 'hey!' "We had a karaoke night and we all dressed up as celebrities. I forgot my sleepover stuff so… yeah" I prayed she accepted that.

"Did you know about the party your very irresponsible sister had planned?" My mom asked, changing topic – I guess that means she thought I was telling the truth.

"Uh…" My eyes flashed to Puriti, who looked at me with warning eyes. "A party? Uh… kind of…um, no… I mean, well… you see… Naru – I mean Hinata is waiting for me in her car outside. We're going to the zoo, so I have to, uh, hurry." I answered.

"The zoo?" My sister cut in before my mom could speak. "Isn't that a little lame?" Puriti's interruption refocused my mom's attention to her.

"At least the zoo is responsible and doesn't involve the police." And as my mom and sister continued to argue, I ran up to my room to change.

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Hinata didn't mind me tagging along. I think she was actually happy that I was there for the moments when Naruto got a little inappropriate (it turns out the zoo _can_ involve the police). For example, he'd yell things at the monkeys and I'd have to call him off so he'd stop embarrassing us.

I also realized why Naruto chose the zoo as a date. It was something that completely suited the couple that he and Hinata made: cute, random, and sort of cliché.

A perfect example of this was when we walked by the marine part of the zoo. As they walked passed some of the tanks, Naruto and Hinata would name some of the fish that inhabited them. I had to urge the two lovebirds along before they embarrassed all three of us.

"Oh!" Hinata suddenly gasped, and then pulled Naruto towards one of the pools. "Look at the dolphins!"

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Sasuke POV

"Look at the dolphins!" Sarah shouted, and pointed over the railing to the ocean below. The cruise was well on its way away from Jacksonville port and had already amazed Sarah three times over. The first was the sheer size of the boat they were on. The second was how everything was all inclusive, so she could ask a Shirley temple of any one of the staff that were placed around the cruise and not one could say 'you should ask your mother first' or 'wait for dinner' like the ones at home did. The third, the most recent, was the dolphins that constantly followed the boat at its bow.

"Sasuke! Are you looking? Are you seeing the dolphins?" she asked her brother who stood indifferently beside her.

"Hn." Was all Sasuke answered with.

So far, for Sasuke, the cruise had disappointed him three times over.

The first was the total abundance of girls. They were everywhere and all of them had there sights on Sasuke- eyelash batting, giggling, pointing, and constant flirting were all in the package.

The second was the fact that his parents, or those who knew his parents, were constantly around- which lessened his time dedicated to either drinking or smoking.

The third, the most recent, was how, upon Sarah's request and on the fact that he had no reason to do otherwise, the majority of his time was spent with Sarah. Usually, at small doses, Sarah could be manageable or tolerable, but at excess amounts, he wished he could jump off of the stern.

Another thing that disappointed (and extremely annoyed) Sasuke (though he brought this one upon himself) was the lack of a certain pink-haired somebody.

For brief seconds, or out of the corner of his eye, he would see a flash of pink. And these flashes of pink appeared often enough to drive Sasuke insane. Every time he saw one, his head would turn to look for it, but there would be no pink in sight. Every time he saw one, this little thing inside of him would quietly and secretly hope and bring up the hope that Sakura was possibly on the cruise. He didn't even know why he had such high hopes of something that was impossible – more or less paper towel girl – and he didn't even know why he got so frustrated at himself for thinking such things – of paper towel girl.

What frustrated him even more than that was that almost every girl who flirted with him, he was and is able to hook up with. He'd be more than willing to and he's sure that the girl would be to. But he felt that he couldn't – or rather he didn't want to. And who would have ever thought that Sasuke would ever _not_ want to get with a willing, attractive girl for no price, for no consequence at all?

The idea is absolutely insane, not to mention impossible.

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Sakura POV

The idea is absolutely insane, not to mention impossible.

The idea that I could somehow get on the cruise that Sasuke is on right now.

Do you know how many times I've wished that these passed few days? Do you know how many times I've fantasized about me and Sasuke and the cruise? It's crazy. I mean I should be thinking about Christmas coming up and all the presents I'd be getting. But every time I thought about Christmas or presents, my thoughts would somehow link back to Sasuke and the night of the party that my sister threw.

By the way, my sister got in so much trouble for that. If it weren't for my dad, I think she would have been kicked out of the house – not that she's spending much time in it anyways.

But back to Christmas and Sasuke. I think, in my own personal dream world, that the perfect present would be to wake up and be on the cruise that Sasuke is on and have him be there and maybe even liking me a lot. I mean, I wonder if he's even thinking of me at all – or if he even remembers or cares about what happened on the night of the party. So in reality, I guess my ideal Christmas would be for Sasuke to remember that night and maybe even think about it. That would be the best present ever.

That, and a car.

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Sasuke POV

Finally.

How long had he gone without any alcohol or drugs?

Six freakin days, though the real answer should be 'too long'.

And how is he getting these large amounts of alcohol on a cruise?

It's Christmas Eve and the cruise line has a 'youth lounge', currently housing a party for 'youths'.

And one would think that a youth lounge would forbid any alcohol – well they do – but someone spiked the punch. Actually, a lot of people spiked the punch. And the soda. And the water… yes, someone poured some rum in there too. Coconut flavored rum.

And who is supposed to be supervising this party? Surely the cruise staff is, because the party is made up of underage teenagers.

Except for the fact that the staff member supervising is a teenager, or close enough to one, and is too busy flirting up a blonde and trying to get her drunk.

So the youth lounge has now taken the look of a club, with mostly underage drinkers. And dancers. A lot of dancers. If you can call a bunch of people jumping around and grinding dancers.

And if people weren't dancing, they were drinking, trying to get someone else drunk, or making out with drunken people on one of the couches. And that's the lightest of the events that were happening in the room.

Sasuke was somewhere tangled in the crowd of this scene.

Obviously inebriate and shrugging off the many girls around him, he searched for that stupid flash of pink that had followed him to the party. Yes, it was there, and it wouldn't fucking leave him alone.

"Hey," a someone whispered in his ear. He would have ignored the invitation if it weren't for the fact that the thing he had been searching for, the flash of pink was sitting on top of her head. Actually, it was her hair.

Everything came together in a fuzzy 'ding!' inside of Sasuke's head. He hadn't been going crazy; the flash of pink was someone's hair.

Sasuke gave the pink-haired girl a once over. Deciding that she was worthy of his attention, he smirked back at her, silently accepting the invitation.

It was strange how every girl who hit on him was refused, except for this one, who happened to have pink hair. (**a/n remember her?!)**

Maybe because of his intoxicated state it seemed like this could be an exception, because she looked like…_someone_.

She walked around to his front, snaked her arms up his chest, and started to nibble on the side of his neck.

Sasuke's brows furrowed, and taking a hold of her hips, pressed her against him.

The girl laughed seductively, and turned herself around in his hold. As the music changed to a fast-paced song, there embrace became more heated.

But as all of this was happening, Sasuke found his reality mixing with his subconscious – something that usually happened when he was drunk. The girl in his arms seemed to transform into someone else – into someone he might have secretly hoped was with him.

The girl pulled him down for a kiss, shaking his subconscious off, and making his reality a lot clearer – or as clear as it could get.

_Sakura isn't here…_

She boldly added tongue, and pressed their bodies even closer together.

_Sakura would never do that…_

Sasuke's actions became rougher as he developed a frustration at himself – and the girl giggled as he proceeded.

_This isn't Sakura._

And then everything tumbled into place as one huge light bulb turned on in his head.

Even though this girl here was more voluptuous, even if she seemed confident to dance up against him, even though she was thoroughly skilled in what her mouth was doing now, and even though she wasn't afraid to get completely hammered (which he could tell by the taste of her breath), she wasn't Sakura.

She wasn't the lanky thing that couldn't compare to what the person in front of him had on her chest and ass. She wasn't the always embarrassed, always blushing girl who always stared at him. She wasn't the innocent, rambling person who didn't know when to shut up.

She wasn't Sakura.

And Sasuke realized he didn't want to be with this stranger. He didn't want to be with anyone…

_Except Sakura_.

And his revelation hit him like a punch in the face.

So did the fist that followed soon after.

"Whathafa…" Stumbling back and holding his jaw, Sasuke searched for his new enemy.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing!?" Yelled someone who separated himself from the crowd.

Sasuke sized him up with a glare. No way in hell is someone going to get away with punching him.

But he was interrupted just as he was about to punch the asshole back.

"Moji!" The pink haired girl rushed from beside Sasuke to the other guy.

"What the hell were you doing huh? What the fuck was that, Hana?!" The so called Moji replied, and turned to the so called Hana.

"It was-" she started but was cut off when Moji took a step towards Sasuke.

"You think you can fucking get with my girlfriend? Huh? Asshole," and he pushed Sasuke on his last word.

"Fucker," Sasuke muttered just before he swung his fist.

A circle in the crowd cleared as Sasuke continued his offence. The Moji guy had no chance, once Sasuke's fist connected with his jaw for the first time; it was obvious as to who would win.

Moji had fallen back into the crowd, and Sasuke was on him in a matter of seconds – and went all out – literally showing no mercy.

It was only when he was pulled off by a couple of other guys in the watching group that he finally ceased his actions, but not without struggling first.

He looked back to his victim and grunted a 'Hn.' Moji had a bleeding nose, two swollen eyes that would probably turn black by the next day, and multiple bruises and cuts all over his face and body – maybe, hopefully, a cracked rib or two. And all Sasuke had was a small bruise on his jaw.

"Pathetic," he spat as the people restraining him forcefully pushed him towards the exit of the lounge – under the orders of the supervisor who finally realized what was going on. Sasuke would have struggled, except for the fact that he had barely any energy left, and the world was very hazy from being jostled by those around him.

He was very unceremoniously thrown out of the youth lounge when they reached the doors. And that's when Sasuke finally realized he had been kicked out.

_Hn. There's a first time for everything_.

He stumbled over to the railing of the cruise deck and rested his forearms on the cool metal. Looking up at the night sky, Sasuke tried to regain a sense of calm – or regain as much as he could while not being sober.

"Fuck," he breathed when he had to suppress a wave of nausea. He lowered his head to rest with his arms on the rail. When the feeling passed, he straightened, and walked – or tried to walk.

"Fuck," he repeated, as he decided to take to walking around the ship. And then all of the curses he had in his vocabulary came flying out of his mouth. And then he said them all again, though 'fuck' seemed to be his favourite.

After all of his anger and frustration had been released, he found himself in the commercial section of the cruise. His mind must have been off somewhere for him to wander this far away from the lounge.

He looked at the stores around him, and then a sudden drunken impulse hit him.

_I should get something for Sakura._

In his intoxicated state, this seemed like the most brilliant idea he had ever thought of.

_I should get something for Sakura_.

It then took him a while to figure out that it was very late at night and he couldn't get anything because he had no money on him, and all the stores were closed.

But by then he already had something picked out.

It was a bracelet, simple, yet expensive looking. He just had to pick what colour beads he wanted.

But he didn't pick what colour because it was late, he was drunk, and he should get back to his room before the cruise patrol find and question him.

So he had somehow made it back to his room, which was right next to the rest of his family, but the means of which were very foggy. So were the means of getting the room key into the lock and then getting into his bed.

Sasuke glanced at the clock on the bedside table before falling into a heavy slumber.

It read 2:23.

_Fuck Christmas._

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Sakura POV

_Oh my god I love Christmas!!_

So I just looked at the clock on my bedside table, and it read 2:23 am! Merry Christmas!

I'm so excited for tomorrow…errr today – this morning… I know I really should be sleeping right now, but I heard my dad leave the house at like, midnight – with no car, and he came back _driving_ a car – do I smell Sakura is getting a car for Christmas? I think so!

And then when my dad came back into the house, he walked up the stairs, and the first thing he did was check to see if I was sleeping – and I was, to him – because when I heard him walking up the stairs, I shut off the lights and jumped into bed and pretended to be asleep.

So I'm under the covers now, and trying to conceal my squeals of joy, and I can't get to sleep. Sam's not even here to help calm me. And I know I really should, because I don't want to be like, dead tomorrow. And I also know that I shouldn't really be getting my hopes up on this car thing, but the damage is already done. Now if only I could get to sleep…

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When I walked down the stairs (more like trudged in a zombie – I ended up getting _no_ sleep last night) and into the living room, I almost became completely wide awake…. Almost.

There were presents everywhere. I mean everywhere. Most of them were wrapped in red wrapping paper, and only, like, three in green.

I ran into the living room, realized Puriti wasn't there, ran back up stairs, woke her up, grabbed Sam in one arm and with the other dragged her down stairs, and sat on the couch anxiously awaiting the gifts to come.

As tradition, we had our parents open their gifts first.

My dad got a couple of books from my mom, golf club socks from my sister, and a mini putting set for his office from me.

My mom got perfume from my dad, a scarf apparently imported from Spain from my sister, and wallet from me.

We also got a couple of presents for Sam- a new little bed, 2 chew/play toys, and a package of treats- because maybe he'd eat something that would look more appetizing.

That's not exciting though, the presents for my sister and I are.

But after they finished opening their presents, my mom and dad – who actually worked together to do Puriti's and my presents – said something very surprising.

"All the red ones are Puriti's, and all the green ones are Sakura's."

Wait. What?

I only get three presents? Puriti gets like 20! That's so not fair!

I kept my mouth shut though and hoped that the three presents had something good in them. I mean, good things come in small packages, right?

But I couldn't help but be overcome by anxiety as I watched Puriti open her bagillion gifts. Did I do something wrong? Was I a bad girl – on the naughty list?

Whoa whoa whoa. Definitely shouldn't have said _naughty_. Do you know what the first thing was that popped into my mind when I said that?

Sasuke.

And I'm not going to describe to you the state he was in…

"Sakura?" My dad brought me out of my… erm… _thoughts_.

"Hm?" I answered, a blush on my cheeks from the images I just had in my head.

"Are you going to open your gifts?" He asked, and the thing that brightened my mood when he said that was the excited gleam in his eyes. That meant something good.

"Okay…" I answered slowly.

The first present I opened had a pretty nice t-shirt – a little plain though.

The second one I opened up was a necklace with a cherry blossom pendant.

"Cherry blossom," I said to that, "now why would you think of that?"

The third one, the last one, was in a small box.

I think it was pretty obvious as to what it was. I mean – the sounds I heard last night, the fact that I only got three presents – and you can't forget the already mentioned gleam in my dad's eye.

It literally took me 3 seconds to open the present, realize I was right, and then run outside to match the newly gained keys to the newly gained car.

It was too bad that I was really tired, making me trip on the doorframe and hit my head really hard on the ground.

First reactions

Mom: Oh my god!

Dad: Oh, honey…

Sister: (laughs)

Yes, my sister laughed at me – isn't she nice?

But then they realized that I was crying, so my parents carefully helped me up and Puriti, by my dad's order, went to go get something frozen for my head.

They brought me back to the living room where Puriti brought me a bag of frozen vegetables.

After a half hour of them asking if I was okay, and me always answering with a 'yes', they finally let me see my car.

And it was awesome – my new Honda Civic.

So it may not be a Maserati Diablo, but it's not a big ford or a lemon – so I was happy. Very happy. Even if that meant there would be no more car rides from Sasuke. At least I'll have less from Naruto.

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The rest of my Christmas was… interesting. Crazy could be another word for it too.

So remember how I didn't get like, any sleep last night? And how I hit my head?

Well those played major parts in the rest of my day.

We had gone to some random relative's house for dinner where all my random extended family went to as well, and we all pretended to be a happy family (even my mom and dad). We were all set up around the dinner table when I felt my eyes start to droop. And it wasn't long before I found myself face planted in my dinner.

That's when Puriti yelled something about how I hit my head, and it could be serious, and that's when everyone freaked out that I had a really bad concussion from when I fell.

It was on the way to the hospital when I woke up in my dad's car. Everyone was like, 'Oh my god, are you okay? Stay calm! Relax! It's going to be fine!'

I had to very embarrassedly explain how the sleeping wasn't from me falling, but from me staying up late last night.

And that's when my parents decided it would be best if we just went home – not to the hospital, and definitely not back to my relative's house.

Well, at least that gave me a chance that night to drive my awesome new car!

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Sasuke POV

Sasuke longed for his car. Yes, he longed – that's how desperate the situation was.

He had awoken to Sarah jumping on his bed and yelling 'Merry Christmas!' over and over again.

The first thing that hit him was his hang over. The second was that it was Christmas. The third was that he was still on the damned cruise. And these were not pleasing thoughts.

After very tiredly following Sarah through the connecting door to his parent's room, he had to wait until Marie and Phillip set up the presents while Sarah clutched his shirt and bounced up and down anxiously.

The presents were very scarce this year, two envelopes: one with Sasuke's name, and one with Sarah's name.

That's when Sarah turned to Sasuke, with a worried look in her eyes.

"How come there's no more presents Sasuke?"

If Sasuke joked, he would have teased Sarah about how she was on the naughty list.

…

…

_Naughty…_

Never should that word be thought of in a male teenagers mind. Especially one who has had… experience. Especially not one who… might be… _thinking_ of someone. A certain girl…

In a Santa costume…

_Not that it's unappealing..._

"Sasuke? Was I a… bad girl this year?"

Sasuke looked down at the younger girl clinging onto his shirt – who was unconsciously giving him… questionably virtuous thoughts – if Sasuke cared for virtue – about a certain someone.

"Hn."

Sarah looked down at the envelope in her hands, and then looked up at Sasuke again.

Her bottom lips trembled once, and then twice, and then just as it seemed she was about cry, Sasuke sighed and said, "Just open it."

Mr. and Mrs. Carter exchanged smiles at this and waited patiently.

Sarah took a deep breath, turned back to the envelope, and then slowly opened it, carefully taking out the glittery card inside. Her eyes widened at the picture on the front – a large white castle on a blue background – and then she flipped the card open to find fancy words in calligraphy.

Sarah then tried to read out the text, her brows furrowing, "You… you are c…cor…d…cord…corda-"

"Cordially." Sasuke finished, looking over at the card.

"Cordially… You are cordially in… inv-"

"Invited."

"Invited… You are cordially invited to C… Cin… Cinder…"

"Cinderella's."

"Cinderella's!" Sarah looked up to Sasuke excitedly, and forgetting about sounding out the words herself, she shoved the card into his hands. "What does it say!? What does it say!?"

Sasuke sighed heavily, looked down at the sparkly card, and said in his usually monotone voice, "You are cordially invited to Cinderella's castle in Disney World for a day of magic and fun, along with a special tea party with your favourite characters. Dreams really do come true. Signed Cinderella, Prince Charming, and the Fairy godmother."

It took a couple of seconds for Sarah too process all of the information, but when she did, she grabbed the card from Sasuke's hand, and even though she couldn't read all of the words, her eyes scanned over the text. Then, she screamed.

"I'm going to the castle! I'm going to _the_ castle! Sasuke! Guess what! I'm going to Cinderella's castle! In Disney world! I'm gonna see Cinderella! Isn't that superfantabulous!?"

Sasuke smirked and then gave a 'Hn.' He then pocketed his own card, and walked back to his own room while Sarah gushed to her mother.

"Uh, Sasuke?" Phillip glance at Marie, got up from his chair and made his way towards Sasuke.

Sasuke stopped midway to his room and turned to his adoptive father.

"You… I… I heard there was some trouble last night at the youth lounge…" Phillip started. Sasuke shrugged one shoulder and looked towards the connecting door.

"The, uh, one of the crew members came by this morning and told us about the incident…." Sasuke shrugged again, and then looked at Mr. Carter when he placed an arm on his shoulder, "…They also told us that you are under room arrest for the day… I'm very sorry, but it's the rules of the cruise."

Sasuke, since his shoulder was occupied by Mr. Carter's arm, gave a 'Hn.'

Phillip started his next sentence a little awkwardly, "As punishment… I, er, ban you from the youth lounge for the rest of the cruise. It was the only compromise we could make with the cruise line's staff."

Sasuke just rolled his eyes.

"Now, I don't want you to get into any more trouble, so I want you to follow the ship's rules for today, and Marie and I will bring your meals."

"Whatever." Sasuke said, and when Phillip took his arm off of his shoulder, he continued his walk towards his room.

"Oh, and when we get back to Jacksonville, I'll help you with your present." Mr. Carter said with a smile as he walked back to the still very excited Sarah.

"Hn."

When he got safely back to his room – his cell for the day – he opened his envelope.

Sasuke was never usually comfortable with receiving gifts, when he did it was usually very awkward. So, like now, he waited until no one was around to open his gift.

Inside the envelope was a simple piece of paper – actually a receipt. The receipt was for a V12 engine – the one that would be perfect for his car. (**a/n so for those who don't know wut a V12 engine is, it's an engine for a car and 12 is how many pistons in the engine it has, so that means how much power/speed. Most cars have like V6 or V8- so a V12 is real good. oh, and I had no idea about engines until I was like 'hey dad if u could have any engine in the world, wut would it be'… so yeah. Sorry for the long note.)**

Sasuke just stared at it for a while, not sure how to react. This was another reason why he opened presents alone – the reaction. It's not like he could say, "Oh golly! Daddy this is the best Christmas ever! Thank you so much!" Because that, in all extremities, is the exact opposite of Sasuke. And even "Thanks, I really like it," is a little over the top for him.

So alone he sat, on his bed, and after a couple of minutes, he put the envelope away in his suitcase, lay down on his bed, and turned on the TV.

Only to be a bombarded by a hyper active Sarah 10 minutes later.

"Sasuke! Sasuke! I need help! Please, please, please!"

Sasuke didn't move from his position on the bed, instead, he closed his eyes.

"Sasuke! Wake up! I know you're not sleeping! Wake up, wake up!"

Sasuke didn't reply. But he did crack on eye open when he heard silence and a creak of bed springs.

And then, "Sasuke!"

All of the air was knocked out of his lungs when Sarah landed on his chest.

He opened both eyes to see her staring back at him, a slightly scared of his reaction but still very innocent look.

"I need help. Really really badly."

Sasuke closed his eyes, took a deep, deep breath, and opening his eyes again, he answered with a very annoyed 'what?'

"I gotta draw pictures for Cinderella and all of her friends. I got to."

In the end, Sasuke did help Sarah except he did most of the drawing while Sarah did most of the… well Sarah didn't do much at all. But it wasn't Sasuke's fault – it's just when it comes to art, he is a perfectionist. A huge perfectionist.

And Sarah didn't mind. To her, it seemed as if she did _all _of the work, and was proud to show it to her parents. Mrs. Carter gave a smile and said, "Wow… they are…(clears throat) beautiful Sarah…" while Mr. Carter took one look at the pictures, and then eyed Sasuke – who shrugged his shoulders and looked away.

_So what if they look like pin-ups_.

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The cruise's path was a simple one. After leaving Jacksonville Port, it would slowly make its way downwards to Orlando, where it would stop for some to get off and others to get on. Then it would continue its travel all the way down to Miami Beach, stopping at certain checkpoints on the way. After hitting Miami Beach, the cruise would turn around and go all the way back up to Jacksonville Port.

Mr. and Mrs. Carter had planned that when the cruise stopped at Orlando, they would get off and drive down to Disney World for the day, where Sarah would have her Christmas present.

And the cruise had stopped at Orlando, and the Carter's drove down to Disney World, and they all had their magic and fun.

Except for Sasuke.

As the day went on he found that he got easily frustrated. And frustration led to headaches. Large headaches.

"Okay everybody, now it's time for the tea party," Cinderella, or the person dressed up as Cinderella, said, and the Carter family as well as the rest of the Disney crew followed her to a patio just outside of the castle. Just the set up of the patio gave him a migraine.

"Here we are! Now let's have Princess Sarah sit at the very head of the table," and she curtsied as the ecstatic Sarah passed by her.

Sarah had worn a princess dress that Mrs. Carter bought especially for Disney World. The Disney crew had given her a tiara to wear and she was treated like royalty for the whole day – which really isn't that much different from her everyday life. Sasuke, unfortunately, had to follow along the whole time, and partake in some of the activities – well, they tried to get him to partake in some of the activities. He just kind of walked to the destination and stood there while everybody 'did their thing.'

And now at the tea party, while everyone was 'doing their thing', he just sat at one of the seats and glared. A lot.

He didn't think it was possible to glare so much at one person, only to have them smile and wave back. That frustrated him.

He also didn't think it would be possible for the Disney characters to flirt with him. That frustrated him even more.

Cinderella blushed when he stared at her. Belle couldn't take her eyes off of him. Mulan attempted conversation. Sleeping Beauty giggled at every word he said – even if it was a simple 'Hn.' Snow White constantly smiled at him, and Jasmine winked from across the room. Sasuke might have… brushed her bottom at one point. Mini Mouse had 'bumped' into him a couple of times, and Daisy Duck seemed to walk either beside him or behind him. He's not even going to mention what Ariel attempted.

Right now, at the tea party, Tinkerbell took the seat beside him. Sasuke ignored her presence. Tinkerbell gave him a smile. Sasuke glared straight ahead of him. Tinkerbell put a hand on his leg. Sasuke twitched. Tinkerbell slowly moved the hand upwards. Sasuke twitched again. Tinkerbell said, "Hey Prince Charming." Sasuke turned and gave her a once over.

A sparkly tube dress fit snuggly on her – starting just at the cleavage line to barely covering her thighs.

_Don't tempt me_.

When Tinkerbell's hand moved again, Sasuke brushed it off and breathed a 'fuck off.' Tinkerbell, rejected, huffed and shifted her chair in the other direction.

Then another hand rested on his other leg. And it started moving up in the same direction as Tinkerbell's was.

_Fucking-_

Wait a minute. The hand, the one that is moving up his leg, is gloved. There is the white Disney glove on this person's hand.

Sasuke quickly looked up to its owner.

And found the big comical face of Goofy staring back at him.

_Fucking shit_.

Sasuke abruptly stood up, catching the attention of the rest of the guests. He was frustrated and tired (and disturbed from Goofy) of the whole Disney World thing – Sasuke should never be in Disney World in the first place let alone at a tea party.

So he walked away. Not really sure where he was walking to, but just away.

He didn't see Mrs. Carter urging her husband to follow.

"Sasuke," He heard Phillip call. Sasuke didn't stop walking, but acknowledged his presence by slowing down his pace.

Mr. Carter caught up to him and for a minute or two, walked beside Sasuke silently. Then he broke the ice – rather awkwardly – "Not your cup of tea?"

Sasuke gave him a bored look in return.

"Well… I can't say it's mine either… but uh…" And he trailed off not knowing what else to say.

A couple of moments later he spoke up again, "So I see you're not enjoying the cruise that much…"

"…Hn."

"Well, I've been thinking… I noticed that the cruise has a work out centre, and I went down there to check it out… Would you enjoy maybe a personal trainer? I signed one up for myself, but, I think you'd enjoy it more…"

Sasuke flickered his eyes to Mr. Carter and then away.

Seeing as he caught Sasuke's interest, Phillip continued.

"How about it? We get back to the cruise, I sign you up, and you can even spend all of your time at the centre, as long as you're with the family for dinner."

"…sure."

"That's good then, you'll have something to do, and something to look forward to." Mr. Carter started to steer Sasuke back towards the tea party, knowing he had cooled him down.

"A personal trainer could do you good," Phillip continued, talking to break the silence. Sasuke narrowed his eyes at the comment.

"Not that you wouldn't be able to train yourself, it's just, with a personal trainer, you can go back to school a whole lot more muscular than when you left."

Sasuke could feel Mr. Carter hinting at something slowly.

"I bet you will improve a lot faster with your own trainer…"

He was definitely trying to make a point. Either that or he was setting himself up for some sort of joke.

"And I bet you will have learned some pretty good training techniques."

Somehow, a joke seemed to be the more reasonable probability.

"Those muscles will be mighty large when we get back..."

When they reached the tea party, Sasuke slowed to a stop, waiting for the point his adoptive father was trying to make.

But Mr. Carter continued to walk back to his seat though he called back.

"It'll give Sakura something to blush about."

Sasuke just glared.

**For those who don't know, a pin up girl is… uh… look it up on google images. Basically, in Sasuke's pictures, the princesses all have huge boobs and butts and a tiny waist- probably wearing lots of makeup and little clothes.**

**Okay, so Moji is Sakura's old boyfriend from elementary school. He is first mentioned in chapter 1, and then is later seen in chapter 3 along with Hana, his new girlfriend. Sakura was a little jealous when she saw him because his new girlfriend was 'practically a reincarnation' of her as she put it.**

ALSO:You can add me on MSN/hotmail at **serenity "underscore" jem "at" hotmail "dot" com** (except forget the spaces in between the address and the "words" instead of the actual symbol- those are only there or else it won't show when I post this chapter) You can send me ur ideas, comments, criticism, more ideas, etc.


	15. Chapter 15

A/n Wow, Haven't updated in a long time

**Chapter 15**

Sasuke's POV

Sasuke couldn't move. Well, he could, but his muscles and bones and everything underneath his skin felt like jelly. Or Jell-O. It felt as if it weren't possible for the human body in such a state as his to be able to function in the angular movements as they normally should.

But he had to somehow make his way back to his room. Somehow.

Just as Mr. Carter had promised, Sasuke was able to have his personal trainer and spend as long as he wanted in the gym, and only come out for dinner. And even though Mr. Carter was joking when he said 'as long as you want to', Sasuke took it to his advantage and used it literally. So his whole day was spent in the gym – his personal trainer was only scheduled for three hours, but Sasuke decided that he would stay even after his training session was over and work out even more – using the new techniques he learned.

Currently it was 6:00 pm – half an hour until dinner was scheduled – and Sasuke was outside the fitness centre's doors. Considering it was his first session at the gym, you couldn't blame him for feeling like Gumby. Well, you could, since he decided to push himself past the limits of what is natural for a human being – but Sasuke would have it no other way. The pro to this is that he will improve on such a sharp curve – but the con is that his muscles were as flimsy as a melted ice pack. And he knew that the next morning, his muscles will feel as stiff as a frozen one. He only wished that the morning would come sooner so he could actually walk without feeling like he'd flop to the ground every time he took a step.

But he somehow managed to do it. He somehow managed to stand up and walk. Maybe it was because of the girls across the deck eyeing him from where he sat on the bench outside. Maybe it was because of the looks he was getting from the hugely muscular men walking perfectly fine out of the fitness centre – or maybe (though the least likely) he felt he had to get back in time for dinner.

Anyways, he was able to stand and to walk with out falling to the ground in a blob. Which Sasuke considered plausible although rather pathetic. What he also found pathetic was the way his eyes flickered to _the_ bracelet in one of the shop windows, and how a quick question passed through his mind- _which colour_?

And because he thought this was pathetic and stupid, everyday he passed by the window pretending that what had gone through his mind had never happened.

When he reached his room, the first thing he did was take off his shirt with the intent of going to have a shower. But right then, Sasuke didn't think he would be capable to make his way to the shower, not when his bed was a lot closer and very tempting. So he flopped onto the bed and told himself he was 'just resting his eyes.'

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_I gotta piss._

Was the first thought that ran through his head when he woke up.

And still in the groggy state of post-awakening, he didn't realize his surroundings until after he walked out of the washroom and back into the bedroom.

_What time is it?_

The answer was on the clock on the bedside table – which showed in red illuminated numbers, 12:07 am. So he slept all that time and missed dinner. But the full plate of food beside the clock showed that the Carter family let him sleep, and brought him his dinner for when he woke up.

After devouring the whole plate of food, he sat on his bed and stretched.

At the moment, his body was numb, in a state of shock after all of the agonizing work he put it through. So he couldn't really feel it when he stretched his arms or flexed his feet- though he did know that in the morning his body would be so sore and stiff it'll take a lot of ibuprofen to calm it down.

But that was in the morning – seven hours away – seven fricken' hours. And he's not even tired anymore, so that's seven hours – or however long it takes him to get back to sleep – of doing practically nothing. And they would probably be the most boring seven hours of his life.

Then, a thought hit him.

_The adult channels are on late._

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Something snuggled into his chest. And then that something shifted, burrowed deeper into the covers, and then snuggled against his chest again. And then it repeated the same process again. And again.

Annoyed, Sasuke opened his eyes, only to find Sarah still in her pj's next to him in his bed. Her eyes were closed and her heavy breathing told him that she was still sleeping. Sasuke frowned down at the girl, but let her snuggle into him anyway – not really sure why, he settled for the reason that he was too tired to do anything about it.

That is until she rolled over, stealing all of the covers.

Silently, Sasuke reached over, grabbed the covers and pulled them back over himself.

Well, he would have done that if his whole body didn't hurt like a mother.

So what really happened was that Sasuke reached over, tensed because of the pain, cursed to himself, and grunted loudly as he returned to his original position, where he could see Sarah's eyes fluttering open from the disturbance of her sleep.

Her expression then turned from just-woken-up-confused, to contentedly surprised.

"Sasuke! What are you doing in my bed?"

In return, Sasuke stared back blankly, and waited for Sarah to realize exactly where she was.

"Wait a minute…" Sarah sat up and looked around, "I'm in your room!"

Again, Sasuke just stared.

"Then how did I get here? Hmmm… Oh! I remember! Sasuke, I had a dream about you where we were at home and then you were in the grapefruit tree in our backyard and I came over and I said 'can I have one too?' and you said 'okay' and then I climbed up the tree and I climbed even faster than you did and then-"

Sasuke took a deep breath.

"-you said, 'wow you climbed Sally faster than I did' and I said 'who is Sally?' and than you said 'Sally is the tree silly' and I said 'that sounds funny, sally and silly' and you said 'it sure does' and I said 'I climbed the tree really fast because I am a ninja' and then-"

He prepared himself for the physical pain he was about to experience (not to mention the mental pain his ears were withstanding).

"-you said 'noooooooooo I am a ninja' and I said 'ya but I am faster' and you said 'nooooooooooo I am faster' and I said 'nuh uh, I am faster' and then you said, 'nooooooooooo I am faster because I got the sharingan' and than I said 'what is the sharingan?' and you said 'look' and then your eyes went really red and I got so surprised that I almost fell out of Sally, but I didn't because one of her branches flew out and caught me and I said 'whoa, how did you do that?' and then-"

Sasuke mentally counted to three, and on three, he sat up in one smooth movement, grimacing from the clench in his muscles.

"-Sally said 'I caught you so quickly because _I_ am a ninja' and I turned to you and said 'wow I guess sally is the real ninja here' and you said 'Sarah, you are totally right' and I said 'I know' and then you said 'well if Sally is a ninja, then are her grapefruits ninja grapefruits?' and then-"

Sarah was cut off momentarily when Mrs. Carter peaked her head into the doorway of Sasuke's room and said with a smile on her face, 'ten minutes until breakfast you two.'

Sasuke nodded in acknowledgment, and then forced himself to stand up and make his way over to his suitcase.

"Thanks mom," Sarah answered quickly, and then without skipping a beat, continued with her story.

"-I said 'hey, maybe, for once, you are right Sasuke' and then you said 'wow, thank you Sarah' and then I said 'no problemo' and then you said 'hey, then maybe we should ask Sally if her grapefruits are actually ninja grapefruits' and then I said 'okay, hey Sally, are your grapefruits ninja grapefruits?' and then-"

Sasuke took the ibuprofen bottle from his suitcase and poured out the contents into his hands. Only three pills landed in his palm and after swearing under his breath about how three fucking ibuprofens aren't fucking enough, he swallowed them (that's right. Sasuke is hardcore like that- swallowing his pills without water).

"-Sally said 'Why don't you try them out and see?' and then you said 'yeah Sarah, try them out first! Let's see if they are ninja grapefruits' and then I said 'no Sasuke, I _dare_ _you_ to try them out first' and then you said 'No way José, I'm not having a grapefruit now, they would be so sour. I'm not trying a grapefruit if there isn't sugar on top' and then I said 'yeah, well I _double doggy dare you_ to try the grapefruit first' and then you said 'okay, I guess, but only because you double doggy dared me' and then-"

Sasuke decided that a shower would do him and his muscles good, so he was about to get undressed, and made a show of it to hint to Sarah that she had to leave, but Sarah didn't move from her spot on the bed. Instead, she continued talking.

"-I said 'go Sasuke go!' and then you got a grapefruit and peeled it, and then you took a bite and spit it out right away saying 'oh yuck! That grapefruit was so sour!' and then because you were surprised by how sour the grapefruit was, you accidentally fell out of Sally, and this time Sally wasn't quick enough to catch you because when you fell you twisted and turned because the grapefruit was _that_ sour and then-"

Sasuke then started to walk towards the bathroom because Sarah showed no interest in moving. Except Sasuke was proven wrong when Sarah actually got up, and followed Sasuke on his short walk, all the while telling him about her dream.

"-I think you died, though I'm not quite sure, and then I said 'well Sally, I guess its just you and me baby' and then that's when I woke up but then I realized that there was something really, really, really wrong with my dream, and I thought about it for a moment, and then I figured it out Sasuke – I figured out that you don't like sugar on your grapefruits because you don't like really, really sweat things like that. So I went to check on you and then-"

When Sasuke reached the bathroom, he slammed and locked the door in Sarah's face. It wasn't really an all that mean of a gesture – one, Sarah probably didn't even notice, and two, it was the only way to make her go away.

But even then, she still continued to talk about her dream.

It was when Sasuke was under the hot jet of the shower that he heard Sarah call, "Mom says I gotta go get dressed, so I'll talk to you later, okay? See you at breakfast!"

Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes and stood motionless under the shower, hoping it would wash away his frustration.

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Sakura POV

I chugged back my diet coke, hoping it would wash away my frustration.

Seriously, I didn't know that I could get so competitive – and it's over FRICKIN' BOWLING!

Basically what happened was Hinata invited me and Naruto to go bowling, her treat. We got to the alley and we all started out laughing and joking and fooling around, but the trouble started when we had to choose our usernames for the bowling computer.

"So, what are your guys' names gonna be?" asked Naruto from his spot at the keyboard. "Hinata?"

"Um... I don't know... just H-hinata?" she answered, and blushed at the look Naruto gave her.

"Just Hinata? No offense, babe, but that's a little boring." Naruto said, making Hinata turn even redder, especially when he called her 'babe'. "You should be..." he looked over at Hinata, his eyebrows furrowing in thought, "Sexmuffin!"

"Uh-N-n-n-aru-naruto!" she gasped and stepped towards him hesitantly. I would have supported her, but it was a little too funny to step in.

"Sexmuffin, awesome!" He said as he typed in the username, "Hey Sakura what are you gonna be?"

"Uh," I looked to Hinata and decided that I shouldn't use my name in fear of Naruto thinking it was 'boring'.

"How about _Supergirl_?" I said, and watched Naruto carefully in case he tried to pull a stunt like he did to Hinata.

"Supergirl? You mean Lame-o. How about..." and he gave me a once-over, "Rack-attack."

"No!" I protested, and unconsciously crossed my arms over my chest. "You're a pervert."

"Okay, okay, how about... Spaz-attack! That's a good one. It suits you," and he started typing it in before I could reply.

"Naruto!" I yelled, and then ran over to the keyboard and tried to push him out of the way. I said 'tried' because Naruto is a lot bigger and stronger and when I ran into him he barely moved. So we had to fight over the keyboard – I was trying to type in 'supergirl' and Naruto was trying to type in 'spaz-attack'. But in the middle of the mad dash for the keys, one of us accidentally pressed 'enter' and my username turned up as 'spap'.

Naruto looked at the screen, turned to me, and then said "Woops."

"Ugh, you're so stupid!"

"Chill, it's just a username."

"But it says 'spap'!"

"Yeah, well I'm starting to think that 'spap' suits you."

"How could 'spap' suit me? It's not even a real word!"

"Sure it is."

"Okay then, use it in a sentence."

"Fine... The grape will go spap when it hits the wall."

"That makes absolutely no sense."

"Yeah it does, spap is the sound of a grape hitting a wall."

"That is so bull."

"Whatever."

"Naruto-"

"Come on Sexmuffin," he cut me off, taking Hinata's hand and leading her to the front of the alley, "I'm gonna teach you how to bowl."

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We all goofed around at the beginning – Naruto even did the cliche 'this is how you bowl' with Hinata, where he was up behind her and really close. Even after the little lesson though, Hinata still continued to bowl 'granny-style' between her legs. I actually tried to do well and get a high score, but I'm not really a bowling champion. Naruto, on the other hand, did ridiculous moves that he called random names. For example, the 'Kage bunshin' – I was like _wtf??_ when I first heard it – and he'd not only throw one ball down the lane but multiple balls. This went on until one of the staff came over and told him he'd kick Naruto out if he didn't stick to the alley rules). Except as Naruto and I continued to bowl, we started to unconsciously compete with each other to get the higher score.

It was fun at first but as time went on, the match got a little heated – and I don't mean by Hinata's blush – because Naruto wasn't even helping her anymore – he was too busy competing with me.

Yeah, it's all fun and games until someone gets hurt: one of the many life lessons you learn as a child. Except I think Naruto nor I ever listened to that, because we didn't have a problem with yelling in each other's ear as the other was trying to bowl – or distracting them – or switching each other's balls for the heavy ones – etc.

Hinata then suggested that maybe we should take a break for dinner, because our match was getting way to competitive – plus Naruto was saying stupid things like, 'I'm gonna shit a chicken if I don't win this. Naruto and I agreed so we put our alley on hold and found a table near the dining area. Even though I offered, Hinata insisted she would pay and that it was fine because it was her treat. So Naruto and I were left to sit at the table, alone, with each other.

I think, mentally, we both decided that for dinner we would avoid everything about bowling, but then that made it really silent and awkward. But then I realized that this was the perfect time to get some info on whether or not Sasuke really likes me or if his words at the party my sister planned were said only because he was drunk. So, after playing around with the idea a bit in my head I figured out a way in which to get my thoughts out without sounding obsessed or desperate (not that Naruto doesn't already think I am). I decided to break the ice with one of the randomest questions ever – but also one of life's great mysteries to the female.

"Hey… random question… but what do guys' do at sleepovers?"

Naruto gave me a weird look, was quiet for a while, but went along with it.

"Well, I sometimes drin-"

"Besides drinking or smoking."

"Oh. Uh, I dunno we… play video games?" he answered a little unsurely.

I rested my hand on my chin, "That's all? You only play videogames?"

"No… we do stuff… like eat… and watch tv…"

"That sounds pretty lame."

"No it's not…"

"Do you talk about girls?"

"What?"

"Do you talk about girls? Like, do you ask each other who you like?"

"No. That's retarded."

"But you think of it, right?"

"…Okay, so maybe we do talk about girls."

"What do you say?" I asked, getting closer to my target.

Naruto was a little thrown off by my eagerness, but he answered anyway.

"We don't say stuff right out… I dunno… we kind of… why are you even asking this?"

"I dunno. Just answer."

"Well, we don't even have sleepovers in the first place."

"You _so_ do – don't lie."

"Kay, well… I dunno… a guy is over… and he just kinda stays… its not planned or anything…"

"I think that still qualifies as a sleepover."

"But sleepover sounds girlish."

"Just answer the original question."

"Fine. We… I dunno…hey, what do girls do at sleepovers?"

"Don't change the subject."

"But you gotta tell me after."

"Okay fine, but _first,_ do you talk about girls?"

"Yeah, I guess."

"How do you talk about us though – do you like," and I put on a manly voice, "say 'Hey dude, do you think this chick is hot?'"

Naruto gave me a funny look. "Uh… sure… we say it like that…"

"Did you say that about me?"

"Uhhh…. I dunno, probably… when we uh, went out…"

This put a large smile on my face; Naruto looked at me as if I was crazy. "Did anyone else say anything about me?"

"Uh, I dunno. I already told you, guys don't really have sleepovers."

This I said more quietly, "Did, um, Sasuke say anything about me?" It was really weird saying Sasuke's name – I think I blushed.

I could see Naruto fighting a grin after I asked, "Hey – that's why you-"

"Okay yeah, so that's why I asked, but does he? I mean did you ever ask? Did he ever say anything?"

"Sasuke doesn't really talk much…"

"Oh…"

"At all…" I could hear the regret in his voice that he couldn't give me the answer I wanted to hear.

"Oh…"

We both kind of sat there awkwardly and quietly. It was one of those times where you tried to avoid eye contact, but ended up doing so anyway, because you just _had_ to see what the other was doing too. It usually ended up with an awkward laugh and both turning away, only to end up repeating the whole process again.

Then, Naruto took his turn and broke the ice.

"So what do girls do at sleepovers? Talk about boys?" He asked, imitating my voice.

I gave him cut-eye, "Yes. In fact, we do."

"Do you talk about me?" He said, still imitating my voice, except this time he fluttered his eyelashes too.

"For your information, it was at a sleepover and it was when we were talking about boys that _I_ convinced Hinata to go out with you." Well, it kind of happened like that – but who said Naruto has to know that I convinced her _while_ we were still going out?

"Yeah, well," And with no other comeback, he decided to stick out his tongue.

"See, not only are your sleepovers lame, but so are your comebacks."

"Like talking about guys for the whole night is _not_ lame."

"We do other stuff, _stupid_."

"Yeah? Like what? Considering you suck at Star Wars leaves out videogames."

"We do other stuff, like eat… and watch tv…"

"That sounds pretty lame." Naruto, once again, mimicked my voice.

"And we watch movies, and we play truth or dare, and we have spa nights, and we-"

"Wait, you mean like massages and housecoats?"

I looked at him suspiciously before I answered slowly, "Yes-"

He leaned forward, his turn to be intrigued. "Are you naked underneath them?"

"Naruto!"

"I was just kidding" he said as he leaned back again, but his tone of voice told me he _so_ was _not_ kidding.

"You're so… ugh."

"What do you do in truth or dare?" He asked, leaning forward again.

Now it was my turn to be taken back by his eagerness. "Uh, we do stuff like-"

"Have you ever had to streak?"

"Naruto!"

"I was kidding again!" He _so_ wasn't.

"No, we do not streak."

"Oh."

"We-"

"Have you ever had to kiss another girl?"

"Naruto!" And this time I reached across the table and whacked him over the head.

"Hey!" He exclaimed.

"You deserve it for being a pervert," I said, but didn't watch for the rebound – when Naruto threw one of the sugar packets on the table at me.

I looked back at him shocked, and then took the same sugar pack and threw it back at him.

And then he threw it back, and when I ducked so it didn't hit me, he threw another one that met its target.

Getting a little childish, I grabbed a handful of sugar packets, threw them at him all at once, and then stood up and started to run away so he couldn't get me back. But my triumphant 'Haha' was cut short when Naruto actually stood up and grabbed me in a bear hug from behind. I started struggling, even though it was practically useless because Naruto's biceps are probably the size of my face (okay, I'm over exaggerating... but still).

I finally was freed when Hinata came back with the food. At first she just stood there, not sure how to take the scene in front of her (Naruto holding me in a bear hug from behind). This caused Naruto to loosen his hold enough for me to get an arm lose and elbow my way to freedom.

"Naruto started it!" I yelled, and pointed my finger at him accusingly.

"No way! You started it!" He countered, just as childishly.

"Nuh-uh! You were being a pervert!"

"I was just being a guy!"

"So! Doesn't mean you have to throw stuff at me!"

"Yeah it does, only 'cause you hit me!"

"But you started it!"

"I did not!"

"Yeah, you did!"

Through all of this Hinata sat down quietly and started eating the food, watching us argue with shy amusement.

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'Congrats Sexmuffin! You win!' flashed across the bowling monitor. This was slightly ironic, considering Hinata didn't even know how to bowl in the first place, and she also wasn't even competing.

Naruto stared at the screen unbelievingly, "No way!" He yelled, "How did I lose?"

"S-s-sorry N-naruto," Hinata answered, a little saddened by his reaction.

"Pshh, don't worry about it Hinata," I reassured her, though secretly I was thinking the same thing as Naruto, "He's just being a stupid-head." Hinata cocked an eyebrow at me, but I pretended it was completely natural (though I think Sarah is rubbing off on me). Hinata then nodded in acknowledgement, and I turned to Naruto, "So, where's that chicken?"

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Sasuke POV

Sasuke was being bad.

Really bad.

Not only was he in a position to get caught by his parents or one of their co-workers for smoking, but his conscience was nagging him.

Yes, the thought to be non-existent conscience was nagging.

It started when he was leaving the gym after one of his many brutal workouts. He exited the red doors and walked past a group of people who were leaning on the rails of the boat. When a light breeze hit him from off the sea, it brought with it the smell of smoke – coming from the group of people he had just walked by.

As he inhaled the smell, an itch tickled the back of his throat – but he was able to ignore the calling.

Except the tickling grew into a scratching as he walked back to his room and entered the door. His fingers started to twitch when it wouldn't go away, and all through dinner with the rest of his family, the scratching persisted. It was only mildly difficult to hide it from them.

But it was when he was laying on his bed, bored out of his mind and staring at the ceiling that the scratch turned into a want. And he finally decided to get up and take a trip to the lower deck – after all, Sasuke always gets what he wants – how was this any different?

That's how he found himself leaning on the railing, one hand holding a borrowed cigarette, the other around a woman's waist – the one who obviously gave him said cigarette.

And that's why he was bad. Bad for risking a chance of getting caught, and bad for flirting with this woman. Bad for occasionally reaching up to tug one of her loose curls, for sometimes letting his hand run lower than her waist, for seldom leaning in to whisper in her ear or to trail the tip of his nose along her jaw and neck.

Bad for thinking he was getting some that night.

And _yes_, he just recently had a sort of revelation about how _bad_ this was because of Sakura-

But it was all in the relief of the cigarette. The feeling of the smoke as he inhaled and exhaled, of the nicotine calming his senses, of the way it washed away all of his momentary frustrations – it was easy to let his control slide. It was easy to let the player inside him come out to, well, _play_. It was easy to-

"Sasuke! Hey! Up here!"

_Shit._

Sasuke sighed, watching the smoke leave his mouth in swirls before hiding the cigarette behind his back and turning to find Sarah from wherever she had called him. The woman beside him '_hmph_'d but didn't necessarily move away.

"Sasuke look! Up here! Right here!" Sarah yelled, and Sasuke looked to the upper deck to see her leaning over the rails to get his attention.

"Hey!" She waved now, pleased that Sasuke could see her.

"Sarah-" Sasuke said in warningly, slightly nervous about her leaning over the rails so precariously.

"Wait there! I'm coming right down!" She yelled and disappeared before Sasuke could do anything more.

To prepare for Sarah's arrival, Sasuke stepped away from the woman and started sucking deeper breaths of smoke now that his time was limited. And when the woman tried to take a step closer, he moved away again, now completely ignoring her – not just because he heard her mutter 'brat' when she stared up spitefully at his sister.

Sarah was running toward him along the lower deck sooner than he expected, and he took one more deep inhale and exhale from the cigarette before tossing it into the ocean.

"Hey Sasuke! Did you see me up there? You guys looked like _ant_s – that's how high up it is! You should come up and see!" She explained enthusiastically. Sasuke restrained his eyes from rolling and looked away.

"Come on Sasuke!" she took his hand and tugged. But when Sasuke refused to move, Sarah turned to him with a frown. "Sasuke, come _on_, let's…"

It was the way she paused and the way she grabbed his shirt that made Sasuke finally look down at Sarah – only to see her sniffing his clothes, confused.

"Wow Sasuke, you smell real bad. I mean _real _bad." She stated, and Sasuke hoped she wouldn't recognize the smell of smoke.

"I think you need a bath before anything." Sarah continued, and this time when she tugged on his hand, he followed. He also heard the woman from before snicker from where she still stood by the rail. Sasuke gave her the finger from behind his back.

Sarah's real purpose in finding Sasuke was later revealed when she lead him to his room. Upon opening the door, she presented the slice of key-lime pie she saved especially for him from the desert tray at dinner since he left in such a hurry before it came. At first Sasuke stood at the doorway, partially impressed at Sarah's generosity – for 24/7 everything's usually about her and her alone being the spoiled thing she is – and partially uncertain as to how to accept the 'gift' – for, as previously mentioned, Sasuke doesn't like to deal with gifts.

But he didn't have to decide anything. Actually, before he could even do anything, Sarah was pulling him towards the bathroom where she pushed him in and shut the door _ordering_ him to take a bath.

"Sarah, I need to get clothes fir-" he had said but apparently was only heard by the slam of the door. A few seconds later his sister threw in a pair of pajama pants from his suit case.

And then politely reminded him that he shouldn't forget to wash behind his ears.

It was unusual that Sasuke had to fight a smirk.

When Sasuke reentered the bedroom, fresh from the shower (_not_ a bath – guys, and especially Sasuke, do _not_ takes baths), he found Sarah on his bed flicking through channels on the TV with the slice of pie beside her. He silently walked over and lay down beside her, where she snuggled into his side and handed him the piece of pie – making sure that he ate every single bite. And even though Sasuke wasn't fond of sweet foods, he ate it anyway.

It was later that he realized how much of a leash Sarah had him on.

But he then reminded himself that he was only being cooperative to make his stupid nagging conscience shut up.

Which it effectively did.

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Sakura POV

Naruto, Hinata and I continued to get together as Christmas break progressed.

Sometimes I'd get together with both of them, and sometimes it would be just me and Hinata, or just me and Naruto.

Sometimes we'd go to the movies, or to the mall, or on some random adventure (note- we never went near a bowling alley), and sometimes we went to one of our houses.

It was the fourth time Naruto came to my house to actually hang out and not pick me up or do science work was when he first met Samuel.

And it wasn't as bad as I expected it to be.

Hinata, Naruto and I were sitting in the TV room on the bottom floor watching a movie we'd rented when Naruto announced he was hungry.

He left to raid my kitchen for food, and he'd done so a couple of times before so I just let him be- tired of trying to stop him. Hinata and I were left to watch the movie until Naruto suddenly came back in.

"What the fuck is this?" he said, and I realized he was awkwardly holding poor Samuel, who was frightened to death and struggling to get out of his captor's arms.

"N-Naruto!" Hinata said, who was just as surprised and offended as I was, even though it wasn't her pet.

"Hey- that's my cat!" I added as I went to free Sam. I sat back down beside Hinata on the couch, calming him in my arms.

"That's a fuckin cat?" Naruto replied and sat down on the other side of Hinata.

"Naruto," Hinata said again, more softly.

"Sorry, but shit- I mean, wow." Naruto continued- I didn't think Samuel's stature was _that_ appalling.

"His name is Samuel." I stated, still offended.

"A-and he has an eating d-disorder." Hinata provided for me.

"That's so fuckin weird. I mean, he's like a fuckin cat." He said.

"H-he's just s-s-special." Hinata defended, and looked at Naruto. It was hilarious to see how much of an effect she had on him. Naruto didn't say one more word about Sam's problem.

Instead, he asked, "Hey, can I hold him?"

A little wary of Naruto, I hesitantly agreed, passing the now calm Sam to Hinata- who he was comfortable with. What surprised me was how comfortable Sam was with Naruto when Hinata passed him over.

"Aw, he's cute." Naruto stated, after scratching behind Sam's ears and hearing him purr. And then he paused, "Fuck, don't tell Sasuke I ever said that."

As the movie continued to play, I kept an eye on Sam. I was still a little wary of him around new people, and I might have even been a little jealous- Naruto, Hinata, and Samuel were all cuddling on one side of the couch and I was left practically alone on the other side, once again the awkward third wheel.

So when New Years rolled around, I decided I would let them have their own plans so they could be an actual couple without me as that awkward third wheel.

Except my New Years kind of sucked without them. A lot.

Ino and I usually get together and go down to the beach to watch the annual fireworks show- and we would have gone together this year, except two days before December 31st, my mom mysteriously left again.

It was late at night and I was reading in my room when I heard someone walk down the stairs with what sounded like a suitcase in tow. Afraid that it was my mom leaving again, I quickly left my room to check out the sound – only to find out my fear was correct.

"Mom?" I yawned and feigned that I had just woken up, and that I was completely naive as to what her intentions were, "What are you doing?"

"Oh," she turned around, surprised that she had been caught, "I'm just leaving for a bit honey." She said and tried to escape down the stairs before I could ask anymore questions. "I love you; I'll see you when I come back."

"Wait, where are you going?" I asked, catching up to her. She stopped when she reached the front door.

"It's fine honey, I'll be back soon."

"How soon?" I asked.

"A couple of days." She answered back, not giving me any information at all.

"By New Years?" I pressed.

"Yes, sure, by New Years."

"Okay…" And I let her kiss me on the cheek before she opened the door and left.

I saw that there was a taxi waiting for her – meaning she had planned this beforehand.

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So it was the worst New Years ever. I spent the whole time waiting at my living room window which looked out onto our street for my mom to come home (at least I could see the fireworks on the beach from there). I waited all night too, and she never showed up. It was when the countdown actually began that was positive she wasn't coming home, so I went up to my room, a little depressed, and onto the computer to distract me.

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Sasuke POV

10…

9…

8…

7…

6…

5…

4…

"Three! Two! One! ZERO!" Sarah screamed along with plenty of others on the cruise. "HAPPY NEWYEARS!!"

Mr. and Mrs. Carter were invited to a private party with some of their colleagues, and since Sasuke wasn't aloud back into the 'youth lounge', he was stuck watching Sarah. Well, the Carters did give him a choice, but Sarah did the puppy-dog eyes and Sasuke had nothing better to do anyways (aka, the gym was closed this late). So that lead them to the upper deck of the cruise ship to watch the fireworks show and countdown- where the rest of the ship's population also was.

Sasuke wanted to cover his ears- Sarah's screams were more like excited high-pitched shrieks.

"Sasuke! Sasuke! Happy New Years!" She continued.

In return, Sasuke stared back at her silently. Even though Sarah was bouncing around and screaming, he could tell she was tired. The way she held onto the hem of his shirt and how she rubbed her eyes often told him so.

"Sarah," he said, getting her attention, "You have to go to bed."

"No I don't, it's New Years! I can stay up as _laaaaaaate_ as I want to!"

"Now." He was only being stern because, from past experiences, Sarah + Sugar + Staying up late chaos.

"Aw, Sasuke!"

In return, Sasuke looked at her pointedly.

"But I don't wanna!" She whined, because she knew that the pointed look meant 'discussion closed'.

But that never stopped Sarah. Before Sasuke could speak, she cut him off hastily.

"But the fireworks are still going on and I never get to see them and they're _sooooo_ pretty and I won't be able to tell Sally about the _finale_ and it's New Years, Sasuke you should stop being like that person who is all 'bah humbug', or like the Grinch or something 'cause you are acting like a really fluffy kitty who has to take a bath." She ended matter-of-factly, adding in the puppy-dog eyes again just to complete the picture.

Sasuke sighed; there was no point in arguing with her.

"Five more minutes." He compensated, not that he always fell for the innocent look, it was the fact that if he didn't let her have five more minutes than she would have a major tantrum – he knew from experience. And this way, the five more minutes will wear her out even more.

"Awwwww," she pouted, but Sasuke didn't show any more leeway, "Fine. Stupid Head." She mumbled. But her grumpiness was cut short when the fire works show was coming to its finale. In the midst of the show, Sarah suddenly turned to Sasuke.

"Come here, bend down!" She told him, and tugged on his shirt to show the importance of her point.

At first Sasuke didn't budge, but then he decided that when he were to take her back to the room, it would be a lot easier if she was in a good mood.

The moment Sasuke was low enough to view Sarah at eye level, she did something very unexpected.

"Mmmmmmmmmmmmwah!" A big sloppy kiss landed on his cheek. "There was your New Years kiss! Now you have to kiss me back!"

"No." He stated, wiping off his cheek and standing up.

"Pleeeeeease?"

"No."

Sarah's face looked crest-fallen, "But… it's New Years, and you got to…" Again, she tried the sympathy/innocent approach.

"No." He stated again, this time more firmly.

"B-b-but Sasuke…" He knew she was faking her trembling lip.

"No."

"Fine. Stupid-head-times-two."

It was a good thing Sarah had a short attention span, or else the situation would have evolved into one of her tantrums – but the fireworks display caught her before anything could elevate.

Bright colours painted the sky as the fireworks commenced, making the night seem like an external night club – but Sasuke could have cared less. Seriously.

The fireworks held his interest at a maximum of zero – the only reason why he kept his eyes skyward was to not accidentally catch another girl's eye and send a misleading invitation to come over and flirt with him.

This was a major downside to all of his extra training – the girls were starting to notice. It had only been a few days, but now Sasuke's body seemed to be able to take his brutal work-outs, and show it in his muscles.

He could even feel the difference in his strength – for example, as he picked up Sarah, she seemed to be getting lighter and lighter. Especially now, when her 'five-more-minutes' was up and he picked up the yawning girl – it felt as if she was as light as a feather.

"Sasuke, I don't wanna go yet," She rubbed her eyes, her protest weak.

"You're yawing." He stated, as he started walking towards their room.

"But that doesn't mean I'm tired," she replied, though her eyelids started to droop. "It just means," she yawned again, "that I wanna rest my eyes…"

Sasuke smirked; he knew what resting your eyes lead to.

And sure enough, as he rounded the corner to take a shortcut through the commercial district, Sarah fell asleep.

The commercial district was completely deserted of people, the only signs of life were his own footsteps and Sarah's in-sleep sighs in his ear. The stores lining the deck were all closed and locked, including the familiar red doors of the fitness centre. Sasuke let out his own sigh; if he were one to show emotion, a look of longing would be spread across his face as he passed by the centre.

Sasuke had taken this route in the commercial district frequently – he walked it every time he went to and from the fitness centre.

In fact, if he closed his eyes, he would be able to walk all the way back to his room without hitting anything.

And if he closed his eyes, he would picture the corner of the centre where he had to turn left.

He would be able to see the upcoming store, _Pearls_.

He would be able to imagine the display window of _Pearls_, obnoxiously filled with jewelry.

He would be able to pinpoint the spot in the bottom left corner of the display where _the_ bracelet was.

He would be able to visualize the blue version of the bracelet in the top left corner of the jewelry rack, the red one in the top right, the green in the bottom left, and the pink in the bottom.

But as his eyes were open, and as he was walking past _Pearls_, he noticed that there were only three versions of the bracelet. In the place of the blue one, there was nothing. The blue one was gone.

This made Sasuke pause in his walk. He recalled back to when he first took in the bracelets' existence, and how as the days went by, as he walked back and forth from the fitness centre, they were being sold at a constant pace. He never realized how fast they had been selling.

Why hadn't he noticed? And why hadn't he cared?

Why did he suddenly care now?

Maybe because he hadn't thought they were quite as important as they seemed now. Or maybe because he had been trying to hide the feeling of _wanting_ to buy the bracelet that he forced himself to pay no attention to. But now, it occurred to Sasuke how popular the bracelets were. If there were so little in stock that they had to sell the ones on display, how many left were there? How long would it take for them all to be gone?

Sasuke continued walking with Sarah still sleeping in his arms. He decided that tomorrow, when he was walking back from the fitness centre – or rather _sooner_, when he is walking _to_ the fitness centre, he would drop in _Pearls_ and quite possibly purchase a bracelet.

And then a thought hit him as he turned the corner to the hallway where is room was. It was the same thought that he had when he first saw the bracelet, when he first decided that maybe he should get it.

Which colour?

There were three left: the pink, the red, and the green. But which one?

Sasuke shook his head irritably, why was he thinking such idiotic thoughts? Why was he caring so damn much?

And even though part of his mind scolded himself, the other couldn't stop thinking about the bracelets.

Not the red one. The red one wasn't…… the red one wasn't Sakura. It wouldn't make sense to get the red one.

So that left the green and the pink.

Both matching Sakura suitably. Both reminding him of her.

_But which one?_

When Sasuke reached his room, he shifted Sarah to one arm, and with the other he reached into his pocket for the key.

_The pink one, or the green one?_

He unlocked the door and entered.

_The pink or the green?_

With Sarah still in one arm, he turned on his laptop on the bedside table with the other, knowing that was the only way to find out.

He then walked through the connecting doors into the Carter's room where he gently laid Sarah down on her bed.

He looked down at her as he untangled her arms from around his neck – and just because, he bent over her, and touched his lips to cheek, in what might have been a New Years kiss.

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Sakura POV

I didn't get a New Years kiss (Samuel licking my cheek doesn't count). I didn't spend New Years with Ino. I didn't go to the beach to see the fire works and the countdown. I didn't get see my mom because she didn't come home. I didn't spend it with my dad because I convinced him I'd be alright and that it was okay for him to go out with his friends and leave me here. I didn't spend New Years with my sister because she was out at one of her wild parties. I didn't get to spend New Years with anyone.

But it was the best New Years ever.

And I know that before I said it was the worst New Years ever, but that was 20 minutes ago.

That was before I went on the computer.

And before I checked my Facebook profile.

And before that I saw the most amazing thing that could ever happen on a Facebook post.

Sasuke Uchiha Facebooked me.

And it made my life. Well, maybe not my _entire_ life, but it sure did make my New Years.

And this is what happened 20 minutes ago.

_flashback_

……………………………………………………

**Sasuke Uchiha (wrote 2 minutes ago)**

Pink or Green?

……………………………………………………

The first thing I saw when I checked my profile was the name in which the most recent post was written by.

Reaction:

Oh my god. Oh my god. Oh my god. Oh my god. Oh my god.

Sasuke wrote on my wall.

Sasuke Uchiha wrote on my wall.

He facebooked me.

Oh my god.

Then I looked at the message.

Pink or green? Wtf? What is that supposed to mean!? What do I choose?

What if it is deciding whether or not he likes me or something?

What if it is some sort of test? What if I get it wrong?!

What if it is deciding the future and affects what fate has planned for me?!

Okay. Taking this way too far. I need to calm down. Maybe it's just a question. A simple question or survey to see what colour I like. Or maybe it's just for his personal interest. Or maybe Naruto hacked his account and sent that to me. But then again the question is far too misleading and simple and confusing and frustrating and somewhat seemingly important to be Naruto.

So I'll settle it as a simple question. Pink or green?

But what if it _is_ super important? What do I pick?

So I chose the easiest way to make a tough decision.

Eenie, Meenie, Miney, Moe. Catch the tiger by the toe. If he hollers, let him go, Eenie, Meenie, Miney, Moe.

Green.

Okay, it's gonna be green.

No wait – I'm gonna choose pink.

No – green.

No – pink.

Wait – green.

Okay green. It's green…… no, no, no, it's gonna be pink.

Pink it is.

So I went to Sasuke's profile, and typed in pink.

But just before I pressed 'post', I switched my answer to green on impulse.

But after I pressed 'post', I regretted it and yelled aloud, 'No! I should've picked pink!'

_End of flashback_.

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A couple days later, as the break was coming to an end, Naruto and I were found sitting on his couch, in his house, watching TV. We were channel surfing until we came upon a news station, where they were playing videos from New Years. That reminded me,

"I never did ask," I said, turning towards Naruto, "what happened between you and Hinata on New Years?"

My memory of the day after New Years showed Hinata with her face an appalling shade of read every time something about New Years or Naruto was mentioned. And she was so withdrawn that she barely moved her hands from clutched above her chest.

"Wha? New Years? Oh!" He laughed, and then showed a devious smile, "When I was giving Hinata her New Years kiss, I got to feel her up and it was-"

"Woah woah woah, I'm going to pretend I never heard that."

"I bet she liked it, I know I did. Especially when my hand reached-"

"Okay Naruto, this is the type of thing that you keep to yourself."

"You're just jealous that you've never gotten as far."

"Psshh, yeah right, I've done stuff like that," I lied – my response a little lame.

"Whatever," he replied, though his expression told me he still didn't believe me.

"I'll have you know, that Sasuke and I have-"

Naruto perked up at the when I said Sasuke. "Oh man! There is something goin' on with Sasuke today and I completely forget what it is!" Naruto suddenly cut in.

"Sasuke?" I looked at Naruto, and simultaneously blushed at Sasuke's name.

"Yeah, there is something important, I can't remember," he continued.

I turned my head the other way in order to hide by growing blush. "What do you mean? There's nothing going on today," I said, playing with my hair nervously and trying to hide my extreme interest.

"No there _is_ something! I just can't remember what," he frowned in thought, "What's the date today again?"

"Uhhhh," I had to think about it too before answering, "Wednesday January 5th I thi-"

"I know!" He shouted abruptly, "Sasuke comes back from his cruise today!"

I froze in place.

_WHAT!?_

I turned to Naruto, eyes wide, and questioned my thought aloud, the dynamics _loud._

"Uh…" he seemed confused by my reaction, and answered in somewhat of a question, "Sasuke's coming back?"

"Today?" I confirmed, though to me, the idea seemed impossible.

"…yeah."

"You mean today, today."

"Uh yeah, where are you going with thi-"

"As in like, January 5th, today?"

"Yes."

"Oh my god."

"What?"

"Oh my god."

"What's wrong?"

I stood up suddenly, "We have to go see him!"

"Sakura, I don't know…" He started, but trailed off when he figured I wasn't listening because I had already gotten the keys to my car and was on my way out the door.

I was almost at a run getting to my car which was parked on the road outside his house. Naruto followed at more of a jog, and the look of uncertainty on his face told me he _just _wasn't as excited as me. Too bad. I'm gonna see Sasuke.

After getting in my car I jammed the keys into the ignition and started the engine up. It was torture waiting for Naruto who _slowly_ got into the passengers seat and _slowly_ put on his seatbelt. But before I could put the car into drive, Naruto put his hand on mine, stopping me from making any movements.

"Sakura," he said, and I turned to him, surprised not only by the fact that he wasn't as enthusiastic as I was, but that there was the actual quality of seriousness in his voice. "Maybe you should, uh, reconsider." He continued.

"Reconsider? Naruto, I've waited almost three freaking weeks and-"

"That's exactly my point," he cut in, "It's been three weeks."

"So...?"

"So a lot of things can happen in three weeks."

I looked at him, worry evident on my face, "What do you mean?" I asked quickly.

"Well, what if he just wants to be alone? 'Cause he just got back from a cruise where he was surrounded by people 24/7, don't you think he'd want some time to himself?"

This was weird. Naruto had logic.

"What are you talking about? That's stupid," I said, though I sounded – even to myself –unconvinced by my statement.

"He also still has to unpack," He started.

Very weird. Naruto was using _actual logic_ in a sentence.

"He can do that later…" I tried to point out, though it only sounded really lame.

"And he's probably not expecting you," he continued.

Wait a minute… is Naruto… being wise?

"Of course he's expecting me..." I answered back, though my excuses were getting weaker and weaker.

"And, I mean, what if he hooked up with someone else?"

My face turned from worried to horrified. Naruto saw my distress and tried to fix the situation he put us both in.

"No, no, no, don't take that one seriously! I was just saying how maybe he might not like you anymore and that he could have-" He cut short when he saw that this wasn't helping, but rather making it worse.

"You know what? Just forget what I said. He probably still likes you and would be as happy as Sasuke could get if you went over." His sentences were rushed out, and though they did appease me, I still started to doubt my impulsive decision.

Should I go?

My hand was even unsteady when reaching for the gearshift – it was caught midway.

And then Naruto said something that completely made me change my mind.

"I mean, what are you gonna do when you get there? What are you gonna say?"

What am I gonna _do_? What am I gonna _say_?

I realized that I had no idea. Absolutely none.

"Well…" I tried to start – tried to pull something out of the air in hopes of giving me a reason to go see him – but I couldn't think of anything.

And now that this little epiphany occurred, I recognized that I wasn't so overly joyous to go and see Sasuke – in fact, it was the reverse.

I was terrified.

Terrified of seeing him.

Terrified of seeing his reaction.

Terrified of not knowing what will happen and what his reaction will be.

I was terrified to see Sasuke, and therefore terrified of the first day back to school.

And I will await that day, dreading those before it.

Well, not necessarily _dreading_, because even seeing Sasuke would make my day - but interacting with him – having him see me – would contradict those happy feelings.

"Also," Naruto continued, probably to strengthen his point, "in two days it's Sasuke's bir-"

But I cut him off again, afraid that he'll make another reason that I'll be terrified of. "I can't do it." I said.

"Huh?"

"I can't do it – I can't go see him – I can't see him ever! What am I gonna do!? What's gonna-"

"Whoa, stop spazzing," he said, and took my hand that was still frozen in midair and set it down onto my lap, "Let's just go inside and watch some TV again."

"I guess…" I agreed, in a little bit of a stupor.

"Maybe we'll make a little lunch, and when Hinata gets here, we can go to the beach."

"Yeah…"

"And we can even stop by the mall first and pick up that new bikini you wanted."

"Okay…"

"Now take off your seatbelt, and take your foot off the pedal," I glared at him now; he was talking to me as if I were a child. But he continued anyways, "Good, now take the keys out of the ammunition-"

"Ammunition?"

"Yes, take them out and-"

"You mean 'ignition'?"

"No, I mean ammuni-"

"Ammunition is like, _guns_ and stuff."

"No it's not."

"Uh, yeah, it is. This thing is called the 'ignition'."

"Oh... Really?"

"Yeah, really."

"Weird, I always thought it was the ammunition."

"Nope."

"...Oh."

"Yeah…"

"..._Oh_."

I guess Naruto's wisdom only goes so far.

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Sasuke's POV

Finally. He was back.

The cruise ended, he was home.

Home with his own bed and his own bathroom.

Home with his own staff to cook his own food.

Home with his missed alcohol, cigarettes, and illegal substances.

Home where he has less of a chance of getting caught if he decides to beat someone up.

Home with girls that won't matter if he's an asshole to them, home where he can get laid.

Home with his precious car and home where his new engine will be installed.

Home with his own wide screen TV and home with his game systems.

And lastly, home, where he can lock Sarah out of his room easily.

Which he definitely forgot to do just now.

_Shit._

He had walked into his room, leaving his luggage for some sort of staff to get, and sat down on his couch. He then closed his eyes and was able to get around 5 minutes of pure solitude and quiet.

Until Sarah came running through his mistakenly unlocked door.

_Shit._

"Sasuke! Sasuke! Look, look, look!"

Sasuke opened one eye to see Sarah also dragging along one of her suitcases.

"Let's show each other our souvenirs!"

Sasuke sighed heavily, "No."

But Sarah ignored him, "I got this picture of this umbrella, and I got this seashell, and I got this necklace, and I got-" As each item was spoken, she proceeded to pull it out of her suitcase and lay it out in front of him. "-this really cool ring, and look at this! It's from Cinderella! And I got this from…" she continued to speak, ignoring the fact that Sasuke had started to rub his temples with his thumb and middle finger.

"No," he said again, this time wearily – a tone that could almost sound pleading.

And since he was ignored, he actually stood up, grabbed his car keys from his desk, walked out of his room leaving Sarah behind, and decided to reunite with his heavily missed Maserati Diablo.

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Sakura POV

Naruto called me the next day, unaware that I was still shaken up by the fact that things actually _could change_ between Sasuke and I.

"Hey Sakura?" He said through the receiver.

"Yeah, it's me," I answered back through the phone.

"I was gonna drop by Sasuke's today, you wanna come?"

"Are you kidding me?"

"Uh… no?"

"How could I possibly go?"

"Well, I could drive you if that's what you mean-"

"Not that, stupid, how am I supposed to face him now that things could've changed?"

"Uh… I dunno. You just could..."

"No, I'm not going – I can't." I mean, what _if_ the pink or green question _was_ life-altering?

"Fine, I just wanted to see if you wanted to."

"Thanks, but no. I'll have to wait 'till school."

"Whatever, I'll see you."

"Say something from me!" I said quickly, before he could hang up.

"What?"

"Say something from me, to Sasuke, I mean."

"Uh, okay. What do you want me to-"

"Wait! No! Don't say anything about me! What if it changes his outlook?"

"Okay then, so I'll see you."

"No wait, do say something."

"Say something? Okay fine, what do you-"

"No, no, no! Don't say anything!"

"Jeez, just make up your mind already."

"Okay, say something."

"Okay, I'll say something-"

"No I changed my mind! Don't!"

"Okay-"

"No wait! _Do_! Do, do, do!"

"Holy crap, just choose woman!"

"Okay, okay…" I thought about it for a bit and then decided, "Don't say anything from me. Just don't." I chose this because I decided I'm going to play it safe. Whatever viewpoint Sasuke has of me will stay the same if Naruto doesn't say anything. If he did say something, than it could change the viewpoint and I don't know what will happen then.

"Are you sure? Even if it's his bir-"

"I said no!" I yelled, and regretted my anger. "I mean, no thanks, Naruto."

"Alright. I _will not_ say anything that from you. Can I hang up now?"

"Yes, you can."

"Finally" and then I'm pretty sure I heard him sigh '_psycho'_.

"What did you say?"

"Nothing, see you!"

"Fine. Bye."

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Sasuke POV

Sasuke walked out of the kitchen with his lunch in his hands, and stopped momentarily.

A giggle sounded behind him.

And then another one, except this time a little closer.

Sasuke sighed, "Sarah."

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" She laughed, and jumped out of her hiding spot. She then ran up next to him and bouncing on her toes, continued to smile widely and giggle.

Sasuke sighed again and sustained to walking back to his room, only to have Sarah follow and giggle the whole way.

He rolled his eyes.

Sarah had been doing this all morning. Following him, hiding, giggling, looking at him with huge smiles that looked a little bit on the creepy side.

And frankly, the whole thing was getting annoying.

Really annoying.

Especially now, when he's trying to eat lunch peacefully in his room, and she's hidden behind the couch, giggling again.

"Sarah."

"I'm sorry! I just can't help it!" She giggled again.

"Stop."

"But I'm just so excited for tomorrow!" her giggles turned into laughs.

"You're annoying."

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" she continued to laugh, and then tried her hardest to settle down, only to end up laughing again, this time even harder. "But don't you think it's superfantabulous too?!"

"No."

"Yeah you do! Yeah you do! You love it so much! Right? Right?"

"No."

"Yeah, I'm right! I'm so right! You are just as excited for tomorrow because it's gonna be superfantabulous!"

"No…"

And then Sasuke's demeanor suddenly changed from grumpy to amused, and Sarah noticing this, stopped her giggling.

"Hey, what's so funn-"

"And here comes Naruto to save the day!" The one and only blonde announced, scooping Sarah up with one arm and throwing her over his shoulder. He had entered the room while Sarah's back was turned to him, and thought that Sasuke could use some help.

"Naruto! Where did you come from!?" She asked, surprised that in just a few short seconds, she had gone from laughing on the floor, to confused over Naruto's shoulder – and quickly being carried out the door.

"Hey! Wait a minute!" she yelled, as Naruto set her down on the other side of the door frame, "Why am I being-" But her voice was cut short when Naruto shut the door in her face, and proceeded to lock it.

"So," he said, turning towards Sasuke, "can I hear a thank you, or a 'Naruto you are so great I wish I was you' or – whoa. Shit man, you're _huge_!"

Sasuke raised an eyebrow.

"Holy fuck! Like what did you do?" Naruto looked at Sasuke in bewilderment, and then flexed his own arm. "I thought it was a cruise, not a muscle-building competition!"

Sasuke smirked and chose not to answer. Instead, he went to turn on the TV and the Xbox – since they played videogames almost every time Naruto was over, it became a habit.

"Yo," Naruto started, still flexing his own arm and comparing it to Sasuke, "You don't have a PS3 yet."

Sasuke looked at his collection near the TV. In fact, he didn't have a PS3 yet, with the cruise and everything else going on, he never really thought about it – plus he had just recently (before the cruise) gotten an Xbox 360, and that kept him occupied for the time being.

"You wanna go get one?" Naruto asked, noticing Sasuke's recognition of the subject.

"Sure." He replied and then stood up, got his car keys and his wallet from the computer desk, and followed Naruto out of his room.

"Hey, if I give you like, thirty bucks now, for like the PS3, am I off the hook for tomorrow?" the blonde asked.

"Whatever."

"Sweet. You having a party?"

"No."

"You should have a party."

"No."

"Well, then we're going to a party or something, sometime soon."

"Whatever."

"Hey, Sasuke?"

"…"

"Can I drive the Maserati?"

"No."

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"Let's hook this baby up!" Naruto yelled, entering Sasuke's room. Sasuke, who was behind the blonde, carried the box holding the Play Station 3 along with the many games they bought for it.

As Sasuke connected the new system to his TV, Naruto went through the games, contemplating which one they should play first.

"We could play Assassin's Creed, or Heavenly Sword… nah, those are only one player… hmmmm… okay," Naruto looked over the pile of games in front of him, then held up two discs, "Guitar Hero 3, or Call of Duty 4?"

Sasuke shrugged when he finished setting up the system, grabbed a controller, and sat on the couch, waiting for Naruto to choose.

"Call of Duty 4," Naruto confirmed with a nod and loaded the disc, "This is gonna be awesome." He said, grabbing a controller and taking his usual seat on one of the beanbags.

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"This is a fucking sweet game Sasuke," Naruto commented after a half hour of game play.

Sasuke smirked without taking his eyes off the TV screen where he was now playing Heavenly Sword.

"That chick his _so _hot." Naruto continued, watching as the main character of the game brutally killed her opponents while wearing a very skimpy outfit.

Sasuke smirked again.

Seeing this, Naruto concluded that either Sasuke was in a good mood or he recently got laid (though the former is the most likely considering he had only been home for one day) because he seemed to be more sociable than usual – for Sasuke that is. He may only be smirking, but at least he was acknowledging Naruto and was replying in a way where one could tell if his response was positive or negative.

Then, Naruto concluded that in the morning, when Sakura had called, he had promised her that he wouldn't say anything from her – but that doesn't mean he can't say anything _about_ her.

So then he finally concluded that a way to possibly mention Sakura would be through a way that Sakura herself came up with.

It was time to play cupid.

_Flashback_

"Okay fine, but FIRST, do you talk about girls?" Sakura asked in the restaurant of the bowling alley.

"Yeah, I guess." he answered.

"How do you talk about us though- do you like," and she put on a manly voice, "say 'Hey dude, do you think this chick is hot?'"

He gave her a funny look. "Uh… _sure_… we say it like that…"

_End flashback_

A light bulb turned on in his head.

"Soooo…. Who do you think is hot?" Naruto asked, trying to act casual.

Sasuke's eyes flickered to him and then back to the TV screen. No reply came.

"You know, I _could_ tell you who _I_ think is hot," Naruto continued, "though I guess you already know…"

Of course Sasuke knew – whether he wanted to or not. In fact, the whole school knew, it's not like the Naruto and Hinata pairing was a secret.

"Hn." Sasuke answered, completely withdrawing.

But this is where Naruto's plan came into action (even though it wasn't much of a plan in the first place). So he was going to lie, but it would be worth it to see Sasuke's reaction – and besides, lying was one thing Naruto _could_ do well… sometimes.

"Yeah, I mean did you see that one time, when we were all in the pool, and she was soaking wet? Oh man."

Hold on – Sasuke didn't recall any time when Hinata, Naruto and himself were in a pool. His eyes flickered to Naruto again.

"Or when she was all over me at that one party."

Again, Sasuke glanced at Naruto – Hinata didn't go to parties.

"I mean, who cares if she doesn't cook macaroni – her kissing can make up for it."

Hold on – he was talking about Sakura.

Not Hinata.

Sakura.

_Hold on_-

What exactly did Sasuke miss out on while he was gone?

_What the fuck_ happened?

A lot can happen in three weeks. A lot of things can change.

Sasuke's response was to grunt, act normal, and beat the shit out of his opponent in the game.

"Yeah," Naruto sighed, "just yesterday we were hanging out at the beach – I have to say, the bathing suit that I helped pick out for her made the sun more than sizzling."

Sasuke didn't reply – it appeared that Naruto was getting to him.

First convincing Sakura to reconsider her impulsive decision, and now tricking Sasuke –Naruto was on a roll.

But then Sasuke did something quite unexpected, even to himself.

Usually, when Sasuke speaks, it's a decision that he thought through – whether it was a whole pros and cons list he thought up, or a simple millisecond 'yes or no' – he always thought it through.

But his next statement was on impulse. He just blurted it out, and then tried to make it sound relaxed and informal in retrospect. He didn't even know why – it just happened.

"Hinata's pretty hot." Sasuke stated.

…

…

…

"EH?" Naruto was shocked. His plan completely backfired.

In return Sasuke shrugged and un-paused the game, trying to make it seem as if everything was fine – even though inside he was just as shocked as Naruto.

The next few minutes proceeded as followed:

Naruto: …

Sasuke: …

Naruto: …

Sasuke: …

Naruto: …

Sasuke: …

Naruto: …

Sasuke: …

Naruto: …

Sasuke: …

Naruto: …

Sasuke: …

Naruto: (said slowly) Er… I gotta go to the washroom…

Sasuke: …

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"So uh, I gotta go now…" Naruto said later in the afternoon, "er, Hinata and I have a date…"

"Hn…" An odd sense of relief washed through Sasuke, though he never let it register.

"Yeah…"

"Hn…"

"So, I'll see you around…"

"Hn."

"Uh…." Naruto shifted uncomfortably, "You… you were lying, right?"

Sasuke knew exactly what Naruto was asking – he was worried about what Sasuke would do if what he said about Hinata was true.

"Hn," he replied, and looked the other way.

To others, this gesture could seem as similar as those before it, but Naruto knew that in Sasuke-language, a 'hn' + looking the other way something he doesn't want to admit.

And that gave Naruto reassurance.

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Sasuke woke up the next morning to voices outside his room – specifically Sarah's.

"But I wanna go in! I wanna wake him up!"

He heard Mrs. Carter's hushes, and then, "Sarah, let him sleep in, we will wait until he wakes up himself."

"But I wanna see him," Sarah whined, "I wanna see him!"

"Sarah," Mrs. Carter hushed again, "He can do whatever he wants today, now how about you go back downstairs and-"

"I don't want to! I wanna see him! Please? Pleeeeeeaaase?"

There was silence, and then Mrs. Carter's voice saying, "Okay, at eleven o'clock you can see if he is awake, but only then."

"But I wanna see him _now._"

"Sarah, do I have to count to three or will-"

"I wanna see him, I wanna see him!"

"One…"

"Please, please, please!?"

"Two…"

"I just wanna see him really, really badly!"

"Thr-"

"Okay, okay, I'm going!"

Sasuke heard Sarah's footsteps running down the hall and down the stairs. He heard Mrs. Carter sigh, and he heard her wait outside his room for a minute or two – probably to see if Sarah would try sneaking back. Finally, he heard her walk away following the path her daughter took.

Sasuke lay on his back looking up through the skylight, letting any random thoughts pass through his head. Today seemed unusually calm – _he_ seemed unusually calm – though it really should be chaos. Today he should be bombarded by Sarah, getting headaches, rolling his eyes, getting into awkward talks with his adoptive parents, but everything seemed calm.

Sasuke decided that he might be able to tolerate today.

After letting a couple of free thoughts wander through his mind, he – almost serenely – got up, walked over to the edge of his loft, and climbed down the ladder. He made sure his door was locked before undressing and getting into the shower.

After his shower he brushed his teeth, put on some cologne, got dressed, and completed a couple sets of pushups and sit-ups (though now, it seemed useless to do only a couple of sets, because a work-out fit for his newly muscled body would take a lot more time).

He stood in front of his bedroom door and sighed, thinking about his previous thoughts. Today seemed calm, yes, but it was only the morning – calm could turn into chaos the second he opened the door in front of him.

And when he did, it was no surprise to see Sarah standing on the other side, a huge grin on her face.

But Sasuke didn't sigh again, nor did he scowl, or frown, or roll his eyes. In fact, his expression was, well, expressionless – but not in the usual way, where there was a hint of negative connotation, or being utterly bored. His expression was more of what you'd find in a passport photo – except really, really, really good looking.

Sarah took in a deep breath and seemed as if she was going to burst with whatever she was going to say, though all that came out was a very excited (though a tad creepy) whisper of, "Happy Birthday!" She then ran down the hall, down the stairs, and when Sasuke only followed at a walking pace, she ran back up to him, took his hand, and dragged him with her (though he still only followed at a walking pace).

In the kitchen the chefs had made 5 of Sasuke's favourite foods to choose from (he let Sarah pick what she wanted first from the food on display, so really he only chose from 4). After breakfast, Sarah led (more like dragged… or tried to drag) him to the main floor living room, where Mr. and Mrs. Carter were finishing up their own breakfasts.

An envelope and a gift bag were situated at the table where his adoptive parents sat, and Sarah pushed them towards Sasuke the moment they joined them.

Some irrelevant conversation (consisting of happy birthdays and awkward replies) ensued until Sarah pleaded for Sasuke to hurry up because the suspense was apparently killing her.

So Sasuke reached for the envelope first and glanced at his adoptive family – all were smiling; Sarah in particular was bouncing in her seat.

It was different, opening a present in front of others, because usually he opens them alone. It was slightly awkward and a little unsettling, but he opened them anyway, because, as it was earlier that morning, strangely calm.

The envelope held a silver key – too small for a car or a house or something familiar. He turned it over in his hands, and the other side showed the number '0723' engraved in its head.

A he held the key in his hands Mrs. Carter explained, "It's your safety deposit box key, and since your 18 you officially own all its contents." She said the next part tenderly, "As well as what your… parents put on their will."

Now this could have been a cheesy, flashback, affectionate, 'awwww that's so cute' moment if it weren't for Sarah.

"Oh Geez, mom! If he already _owns_ it then why'd you give it as a present?" she yelled, throwing her hands in the air as if it was the most ridiculous thing her mother had ever done.

"Sarah," Mr. Carter warned, "You don't talk to your mother that way."

"I'm sorry but _geez_. I hope the next present is good." She ran around the table to reach Sasuke's chair, "Hurry up and open it! How can you _stand_ the wait!?"

Sasuke set the key back in the envelope and put it on the table. He then reached for the gift bag slowly, almost tauntingly, as one eye watched Sarah. He didn't reach the gift bag though – Sarah already grabbed it, took out whatever it was that was inside, and shoved it in Sasuke's face. "Gosh! Do I have to do _everything_? Here! Take it, _take it_!"

As Sasuke took the present from Sarah, he heard Mr. Carter caution his daughter again, "Sarah, calm down."

"But he's taking _soooo_ long!"

"Sarah," Mr. Carter warned.

She folded her arms and pouted. "Fine, fine, but he's gotta hurry up."

Sasuke turned over the gift in his hands, slightly confused.

It was a jewelry box.

A black velvet jewelry box, that looked like it would hold something expensive.

But it was a jewelry box – guys don't get jewelry, do they?

Nevertheless he opened it, revealing what looked to be a silver identity bracelet.

Okay, maybe guys _do_ get jewelry.

"It's platinum." Mrs. Carter stated, looking for Sasuke's reaction.

Sasuke took out the bracelet and held it in his hands. The front of the tag had 'Uchiha' engraved into it, and the back was blank.

"We weren't sure what you'd like engraved on the back," Mrs. Carter continued, "so we left it for you to decide." She seemed almost anxious, afraid that Sasuke wouldn't like it.

In fact, Sasuke didn't know what to think – jewelry never occurred to him as something he'd ever get. But it seemed, through the bracelet, the Carters respected his name – they took in that Sasuke was 18, that he was by law an adult, that he officially was an Uchiha and not a Carter.

Though, for some reason, Sasuke felt as if there should be another name, besides his own, engraved in the bracelet.

"…Thank you." He mumbled awkwardly, and Marie seemed to let out the breath she was holding in – Mr. Carter seemed relieved. Sarah still looked anxious.

"Well what are you waiting for? Put it on! Put it on!" she yelled, and snatched, once again, the present in Sasuke hands. She grabbed his right hand and pulled it down so it was at eye-level.

"Sarah," Mr. and Mrs. Carter said in unison, "be careful," Mrs. Carter continued.

"All done!" she announced, and held up Sasuke's arm. The bracelet didn't look half bad – and it's not like it looked girly. If it did, then he'd be able to pull the look off any way and everyone would start wearing identity bracelets.

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Sasuke was right.

He was able to tolerate the day.

Even when Sarah wouldn't leave him alone.

Even when the Carter's thought it would be nice to invite Naruto over for dinner – whose reply to the bracelet was to laugh and say 'You got man-jewelry?' (for some reason, Sasuke was a little offended by this…)

It was tolerable.

And as he lay in his bed that night, he figured that the next day would be tolerable as well, though a little boring, because Mr. Carter was taking him to the bank that held his safety deposit box. That meant he'd be dealing with his birth parents' will, his inheritance, and all of the financial business in between. But it could be tolerable.

And maybe, even the next day after that- the first day back to school – would be just as tolerable. He would just have to take care of some business that happened to have pink hair.

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Sakura POV

Oh my god. I'm dreading the first day of school. Yes, _dreading_.

I know before I said I wasn't exactly dreading, but after two days of the subject ringing in my brain non-stop, I think I have the right to dread.

I mean, if I look back to how things ended off before the break, I'm not sure leaving Sasuke passed out on his couch, sleeping over at Naruto's, and having Naruto call Sasuke saying I slept with him, isn't exactly a good way to leave things for three weeks.

And if you look even farther back, the events that lead up to the Christmas Break weren't great either. Sasuke practically harassing me at my sister's party and me slapping him wasn't good, nor was him ignoring me, kissing me, and then leaving me alone in the projector room. This almost makes me think that he might just be playing around with me for his own amusement – or even worse, it makes me think that when I go back to school he'll pretend like nothing ever happened.

But then it makes me wonder why the hell he ever got himself so involved – and why he sent me that Facebook message.

Maybe I should pretend I'm sick and not go to school – it would save me a lot of humiliation. Or maybe I should go along and start where I left off before the break. Or maybe I should pull a Hinata and try and act invisible. Or maybe I should pull an Ino and try to be the exact opposite if invisible. Or maybe…I don't know.

Maybe I should just wing it.

**A/N For future reference, I've decided that the birthdays in my story are NOT going to be the same as the ones in the anime (I took a vote- it was unanimous).**


	16. Chapter 16

A/N zljsdbflaivclkdgfajbclaidgfa;lisfdakbc

Sakura POV

Buddhism can be seen as a religion or a set of teachings. Either way, it focuses on one thing: experiencing reality. People who follow Buddhism usually view reality and life as a big picture, not specifics, and the more serious believers have a goal to become 'enlightened'- meaning they understand or are aware of life to its fullest. Now it _is_ a stereotype to say they all meditate and they all are calm collected people – but those are two of the points that Buddhists are known for in the media.

And I could learn a lot from them.

Because right now, as I'm driving in my car on the way to school, I'm freaking out. I am definitely not calm, nor collected, nor understanding life (however you do that). I'm freaking out. Then again, maybe I shouldn't have had a large coffee from Starbucks this morning.

Okay. Deep Breaths.

I am going to see Sasuke today. This morning. And I haven't seen him in three weeks. So how am I supposed to manage?

It's not like I can walk into the classroom, run into his arms, and say 'I missed you so much!' followed by a big romantic kiss. …No matter how much I would enjoy that, it would never ever happen. Ever. Nor would practically anything else I can think of – because I have no idea how he'll react to me. It's like the first day of school again, where I have to go sit in a corner, because Sasuke is a practically different person – or he could be. As Naruto said, a lot can happen in three weeks. I have no idea how he'll react to _anything_.

Wait a minute.

Of course _I_ don't know how he'll react, which means _he_ won't know how I'll react – well, I _think_ he doesn't know. So if _I_ get to the art room _first_, I won't be the one who has to initiate anything – he will have to decide what he wants to do. And I'll just have to go along with it.

I suddenly accelerated sharply from my 20 km/h – seriously, I was so afraid of going to school that I was driving _that_ slow – hoping to god, or the Buddha, or whatever, that I'd get there first and that I won't screw this up big time.

So after I parked my car in the school parking lot (and quickly scanning for the famous Maserati) I tripled my speed knowing Sasuke was, in fact, in the school. I zoomed by my locker only stopping to grab my art stuff (and to give people hugs – which were _not_ commenced by myself), and rushed to the art room, where it was safely unoccupied by Sasuke. That was good – that meant I could find myself an empty seat near the back of the room, where he _could_ see me if he wanted to.

But it was also bad, considering I was extremely early for class. My ipod's clock said 8:47 – 13 minutes until class started, so, with nothing better to do (because fretting wouldn't help), I pulled out my sketchbook and started to doodle, anticipating Sasuke's arrival both excitedly and nervously.

As students entered the classroom, I became more and more nervous and my right foot started to tap anxiously. Hinata hadn't entered yet, so the seat beside me was still empty, and when she _did_ enter she gave me a small smile and decided to sit somewhere else.

Why isn't she sitting with me? Why did she smile and then go somewhere else?

My thoughts were cut short and my questions answered two seconds later when in walked Sasuke Uchiha, whom I have been waiting for for three (freaking) weeks.

I felt all of the colour drain from my face when I first realized it was him, and then in a rush, it all came back staining my cheeks in an embarrassing shade of red – my memories didn't do him justice.

Sasuke had changed over the Christmas break – in what could only be a good way. His raven hair had grown longer and he looked 150 percent more confident than three weeks ago (and he was cocky enough to begin with), the reason probably being his muscles – dear god his muscles - was it possible for someone as good looking as he to be walking around freely? I would think Abercrombie would have already recruited him as a model and (if he refused to go) shot him down with a tranquilizer.

And the feeling I got when I looked at him – it's hard to describe. Contrasting the terror of seeing him that stayed rigid in my mind, the amount of happiness that seemed to explode from my racing heart would make a therapist think that I had been depressed over the past few weeks in comparison. Seriously, someone should call an ambulance in case I suffer from tachycardia. That's how bad it was.

The whole room was quiet – I think the rest of the class was doing the exact same thing as me – staring silently with their mouth agape.

I watched as Sasuke viewed the class with an air of arrogance added to his usual indifference. His eyes scanned the people frozen in their spots and as he turned his head in the my direction, I hurriedly looked down, pretending to draw and act natural – even though I was probably the only person in the room who wasn't looking at him.

It was when I heard footsteps approach the place where I was sitting, that my right foot started to tap again, and my blush deepened – it was suddenly really, _really_ hot in the room.

Because of my cowardliness, my head was looking down towards my sketchbook and my hair was forming a curtain around my face. Naturally, I couldn't quite see what was going on.

But I could _sense_ someone sitting down next to me.

A quick glance showed my hopes and fears – Sasuke had taken a seat beside me.

Oh god.

Or Buddha.

Or whatever.

Is it possible to combust from your own blush? How about drill a whole in the ground from your foots' own furious tapping?

I peeked through my hair and saw him take out his own sketch book – he looked casual – as if he sat beside me everyday of his life, as if the whole class wasn't staring at him – and I definitely looked like a wreck. I was blushing, probably shaking, most likely sweating, and tapping my foot like crazy.

I believe he felt me staring because he looked up, and for a second, we made eye contact. A whole new heat wave spread over my cheeks, a whole new excited feeling burst from my heart, and I almost had to hold a smile back at seeing is gorgeous face so closely – but I looked away – why was I so nervous? Why was I freaking out? Why was I so-

Oh my god.

Oh my god.

A hand is on my knee. _His_ hand is on my knee. Sasuke Uchiha's hand is on my knee.

I shivered.

"That's annoying" he whispered, effectively ceasing the tapping of my foot.

Despite the comment, I shivered again.

And then a noise emitted from my mouth that sounded slightly like a strangled 'mhmm.'

He smirked, took his hand off of my knee, and continued to draw.

But it was that smirk that made me realize that it was definitely the same Sasuke regardless of his newly refined god-like body (not that is wasn't deity material before). He was still his ignorant, cocky, completely amazing self – the only thing that had changed was the fact that he chose to sit beside me – which I don't mind at all, really. But he was sitting beside me _because_ he hadn't changed – if that makes any sense. I mean, before the break he was _always_ flustering me (funny how I just came to that realization), and right now? What is he doing? Flustering me. And it's working. Just a simple touch to my knee made me flustered – but the thing is, I wish it wasn't just a simple touch to my knee, I wanted more.

Except Sasuke didn't make any other physical contact for the rest of the class, nor did he speak. When the anthem had sounded over the p.a system, he stood up almost carelessly and decided to stare blankly at all of the other people in the classroom who were staring at him, making them probably highly uncomfortable as they all shifted their eyes away nervously.

I was watching him the whole time, not even trying to hide the fact that I was doing so – though whenever he looked at me, I would freeze and then look away embarrassed. The same thing happened when the anthem was over, and it continued through out the rest of class. But why was I so anxious, nervous and, well, scared?

I still couldn't figure it out even by the time that art class ended. The moment the clock struck 9:20, I decided that maybe I should try and figure out what's going on – even if it won't be the most straight-forward confident act – it would be advancement. It just took a minute of gathering the scattered pieces of my brain and guts to do it.

But when I looked up, he wasn't there.

And that was it.

I like, blinked, and he was gone. Literally. All of the pairs of eyes that were watching him before now fell on me, making me blush furiously. And even though I was still highly confused, I gathered my things quickly and left with as much haste as possible.

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I didn't see Sasuke as I made my way to English class where I proceeded to not listen to the lesson and contemplate what had just happened in art class. And what _had_ just happened?

Very unusual behavior for the very antisocial (well, antisocial when he's not drunk) Sasuke. That's what just happened.

After going through all of the possibilities on the drive for his strange behavior, I found one that I treasured in my mind, one which had an agreeable percentage of probability: could Sasuke _still _like me as well?

I mean, if you think about it I have some good evidence to support my theory:

There's the whole _'you're not allowed to dance with anyone else' _deal when he was drunk (a little weird…), allowing me in his house – in his car (which I'm sure he hasn't allowed any other girl), obviously the flustering me senseless (literally senseless… though it's not as bad as I make it out to be…), and god (Buddha), don't forget the kissing. You can't forget the kissing.

It's disheartening though, to suddenly snap out of your zoned in little world filled with Sasuke-related fantasies and find yourself still sitting in second period English class, discussing some sort of grammar related thing.

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All through lunch, Ino had a smile on that looked slightly bitter – and it was directed at me. At our school, gossip spreads quickly, so she probably heard about Sasuke sitting next to me. This also caused trouble at lunch, where I became the topic of interest more than once. We sat with Naruto's group again – which seemed to becoming our regular lunch spot – and while others in the cafeteria gossiped about me, while Hinata and I conversed and laughed with others pretending we didn't see or didn't care about the gossipers, Ino sat across from us with that smile on her face the whole time.

The table where we ate was usually emptier at the beginning of lunch, because some in the group go out to have a pre-lunch smoke. As I thought about everyone in the group now, I could almost call all of them friends, or at least acquaintances.

Of course there is Naruto, who is like a best friend now. There's Kiba, who's a lot like Naruto in the way that he is outgoing and sociable. Unlike Naruto, Kiba isn't really stupid (okay so Naruto isn't fully stupid, I'm using the term generally) and doesn't have such blind determination. And he has the cutest dog ever.

And then there is the serious, sarcastic Neji and is now girlfriend Tenten – who is really nice despite how intimidating she may seem. While these four do participate in the 'bad shit list', they do not go out for the pre-lunch smoke.

Those that _do _are the Sabaku siblings, Shikamaru, and (though it kind of depresses me a little,) Sasuke.

The Sabaku siblings, better known as Temari, Kankuro, and Gaara, make me uncomfortable every time I'm near them.

Gaara, the youngest of the siblings, is very unsociable though appears to be at every party and at every get-together. I'm a little afraid to talk to him, and though Naruto says he's just misunderstood, I can't bring myself to try and initiate conversation – especially since I sometimes find him staring at me with these intense eyes (it's really unsettling). Kankuro is the middle sibling and though I talk to him and stuff, it's always a little weird because he's always with Gaara (and very protective of him).

The eldest, Temari, is so confident and so sassy that I am actually afraid to talk to her. She's very popular not only because of her confidence, but also as her status as one of the 'hot girls' by the majority of the male population, boosting her high up the food chain.

For almost a year, she and Shikamaru have been dating and are both seen frequently outside of the school, smoking. Shikamaru is a total genius, and you'd figure, because he's so smart, that he'd have enough sense not to smoke. And even though I kind of sympathize with him, because he started smoking only after this whole ordeal where a teacher died and he was really close to him, he could have dealt with the loss another way. Anyway, Shikamaru is easy to get along with if you understand his way of interaction – it's not outgoing like Naruto's, or serious like Neji's – it's very unenthusiastic but at the same time compliable.

And it oddly was Shikamaru who seemed to lift Ino's mood.

As soon as the smoker's group filed into the cafeteria, Ino's bitter smile disappeared and was replaced by her usual _'I've got to act cool'_ routine, where she pats down her hair and makes sure she looks okay before going into flirt mode.

Shikamaru sat down next to Temari a little ways away from her, but no matter the distance, Ino kept her focus in his direction.

The other two Sabaku siblings sat together near the end of the table, but I didn't pay as much attention to them because the person who just sat down next to me was, once again, Sasuke Uchiha.

His lunch was made up of cafeteria food, so he must have bought before he sat down. I watched him out of the corner of my eye as he started to eat, and was a little confused by the fact that he purposefully didn't acknowledge me. I also crinkled my nose a little at the scent of smoke that he carried with him, but other than that, my expression was normal – or at least I tried to make it look normal. It was hard though, with Sasuke sitting right next to me, and me not knowing what he was thinking, nor what the whole cafeteria was thinking.

And believe me; I know the whole cafeteria was thinking _something_. I could tell by the way everyone was either pretending to mind their own business or just full out staring.

And then there was Naruto, who obviously knew something was up. He and Hinata are the only people who really _know_ what's going on – either by being around me and Sasuke long enough to observe plentifully, or just hearing it straight from me.

At the table Naruto, who sat on my other side, would frequently turn to me and wiggle is eyebrows. I would elbow him in the ribs in return. He would be about to retort with either words or actions, but Hinata would put a hand on either his shoulder or his arm and Naruto would stop – only until he decided to wiggle his eyebrows at me again. And this repeated throughout lunch.

But it was then, sitting in the cafeteria, elbowing Naruto, trying to not crinkle my nose from the smell of smoke, and trying to act normal, that I became enlightened (or so the Buddhists would say).

Yes, I was pretending to be normal, but what if…

What if it was normal?

What if sitting beside Sasuke at lunch was normal? And, you know, being together was normal too?

I mean, I already thought over the part where he might like me, so why couldn't it be?

If you look past the point that he is way more attractive than I am, way smarter, and way more popular, than really, it's not that farfetched of an idea. Sasuke and I together, sitting in a tree.

K-I-S-S-I-N-G.

"Uh, Sakura?"

"Hm?" I looked up partially surprised – someone's voice snapped me out of my reverie.

"Are you alright?" Tenten continued talking and my eyes shot up to her before quickly scanning the rest of the table. They all were looking at me strangely – except for Sasuke (of course).

"Er, yeah…" I shook my head slightly (what expression was on my face while I was thinking?) and continued. "I'm fine," I answered pretending everything was normal, and eventually everyone returned to their conversations.

Once everyone had turned away, Sasuke glanced down at me; I saw it from the corner of my eyes. I looked back up at him, and gave a smile that I hope didn't look as shaky as I felt, and looked away before I embarrassed myself.

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Now Instrumental could have been a butt-load of anxiety.

It could have been because Naruto was still wiggling his eyebrows, and everybody was still trying to inconspicuously look at me.

But it wasn't because I was enlightened.

…

…

…

Okay, that sounds really weird and kind of cheesy, but it's true – I was really calm about the situation, and instead of thinking about every single little thing, I looked at the whole picture.

Just don't get this whole being enlightened thing mixed up with confidence – because it totally isn't. I just realized that I was being really stupid and (dare I say it?) kind of fangirl-ish.

So yes it does make me sound really weird, but it did help me get through instrumental a-okay (…give or take a couple of elbows to Naruto's ribs).

Now for Biology.

When I first entered Mr. Kakashi's classroom, walking with the ever-talking Naruto, I was still in my own state of calm. Even after I sat down, I was calm.

It was when Sasuke entered the room that my heart started to race, that the same feeling of excitement and happiness rushed through my body – but I didn't let my exterior show it. I watched him as he nonchalantly walked to the chair beside me, and as he sat down. I watched him as he stretched casually and briefly, flexing his muscles and as he shifted his gaze to me momentarily.

But watching Sasuke so closely left Naruto unguarded – free to give me a small push that would catch me off balance, make me let out a little yelp, and send me cheek-first into Sasuke's arm. Sasuke's very hard, firm, muscled, arm.

There was a wistful thought that went through my mind, one that kept me frozen against Sasuke's arm for a total of 3 seconds: What would he do if I didn't move?

But then, when his head (along with everyone else's in the room) slowly swiveled towards me, I got myself under control. With my heart beating loud against my chest, I sat up slowly and gave a nervous smile and a giggle to the general audience, before busying myself with organizing my books. I made sure to give an extra-hard elbow to Naruto's ribs when he tried to talk to me (one that left him wheezing).

Almost fifteen minutes after class had started, Mr. Kakashi finally walked through the door, and, instead of starting off with a new unit in biology, he decided to give us a little activity to do.

And while he was explaining this activity, I'm pretty sure his eyes were focused towards me and Sasuke for the bulk of it.

Which explains why we had to tell the person to the _right_ (where Sasuke was in respect to me) about our holiday.

Now straight away, Naruto started yapping about something, but I had tuned him out and focused on what I was going to say to Sasuke.

But when the moment came and I turned to tell Sasuke what I had spent 5 minutes formulating in my mind, and Sasuke turned to me with slightly raised eyebrows, and I opened my mouth to speak – I froze. And it took a couple of seconds for me to wrap my mind around the situation again before I took a deep breath and tried again.

"Hi. Mine was good." I rushed out in an exhale of breath. So it wasn't exactly what I wanted to say (at all), but at least I said something.

And after I said those words, he just stared at me. And I just kind of stared at him.

His face was passive for a few seconds, and then he tilted his chin upwards a little. "Is that all?" He murmured in that incredibly sexy voice he always uses to fluster me.

And I found it extremely hard to breath.

But it reminded me that it was exactly like how things were before the break. Even as Naruto turned to us and said "Yo, sorry to ruin your moment, but you're not doing the activity very well. Sakura, we've got like two minutes left and I still haven't gotten to the third week yet."

"Naruto," I turned to him, annoyed for interrupting, forgetting Sasuke's presence briefly, "I was with you the _whole_ time; you don't have to tell me everything because I already _know_."

And it was to my ridiculous pleasure to see, out of my peripheral vision, Sasuke stiffen at my comment. Was he jealous? Of Naruto and I, together? I bit my lip, holding back a smile, and took another peek at Sasuke.

Where I saw his back facing me, and Karin, the annoying red-head, chattering excitedly to him.

And I slumped low in my chair, deflating like a balloon.

But as I completed this over-exaggerated action, my legs, which were originally tense and together, spread loose and the outer thigh of my right leg accidentally rested against something that was not inanimate. In simple terms: Sasuke's leg.

My legs were now incredibly tense, however they did not move. I was suddenly very, very nervous – and also very, very, and maybe a little _too_ internally exuberant.

But I didn't move, nor did he – and I didn't even look up at him.

The only thing I did was continue to write down the lesson Mr. Kakashi was teaching, acting normal, even though my insides were having a party.

And then, a couple of minutes later, I gradually let the muscles in my leg loosen again, letting all of its weight rest against Sasuke's.

And he still didn't move away.

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The rest of the day seemed surreal. I don't really remember getting up from my desk and gathering up my stuff. I don't really remember walking out of the room when the bell rang and walking out into the hallway. I _do_ remember accidentally bumping into Sasuke, saying 'Oh my god, sorry', and having him not say anything but continue to walk along side me until I had to go a separate way to my locker.

But I don't really remember getting my things from my locker and walking out to the parking lot. Or getting into my car and starting it. I _do _remember getting caught up in a daydream about a certain someone and accidentally almost crashing into his car because I wasn't paying attention to the road (because of that daydream). I _do_ remember him raising an eyebrow at me from the drivers seat of his car – taking the fact that I almost killed _the_ Maserati pretty lightly – and driving off with what was maybe, maybe, _maybe_ a smirk.

But I don't really remember driving home or going into my house or watching T.V until dinner or eating dinner or trying to feed Samuel or calling Hinata or talking to Ino on MSN or Facebooking Naruto, _or_ having a shower or getting into my pj's or turning on my ipod or getting into bed.

But I _do_ remember squealing about all the things that happened today that I _could_ remember.

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The next day I had first period with Naruto in English media. I was glad to see that even though our relationship status had changed from going out to just friends, Naruto still sat beside me. I was even more glad to see that the rest of Naruto's friends who are in our class, the ones I eat lunch with now, were also sitting with us – which I took as meaning they were my friends now too. Currently I was sitting with Naruto, Tenten, Neji, and Kiba.

As the class went on we were instructed to get into partners and make a collage of celebrities and events as an opener to the next unit which had to do with tabloids or something. Since Naruto and I were sitting beside each other, we decided to be partners, which, when I look back on it, was _not_ a smart decision.

The whole time we were working on it, or should I say _I _was working on it, Naruto was flipping through women's fashion magazines looking at all the ads with half-naked women in them. Which I scolded him for via my elbow to his ribs.

When I finished the collage though, I found myself doing the same thing that Naruto was doing (and now Kiba too) – even though I had just scolded him for it. Except I was also doing this with Tenten, and it wasn't a women's fashion magazine – it was a men's sports magazine. Which means oodles of pictures of hot topless guys.

It was when we were looking at a page with a guy that sort of looked like Sasuke, when Tenten whispered, "So, what's up with you two?"

I froze, knowing that she probably saw my change in demeanor – no one had confronted me about Sasuke yet. If she was even talking about him.

So I tried to play it cool, "Me and who? Naruto?" I asked, making sure to sound like it was ridiculous if she was referring to something happening between me and Naruto.

"Sakura, come on," she said, seeing right through me, "hello? Do you think I'm stupid?" she continued as she held up the page with the Sasuke-resembling model on it to my face.

"Oh…" I blushed, "you mean, Sasuke" I answered, saying his name quieter so no one would hear.

"Don't think I haven't noticed what's going one there, kay? I think you're the only person he's been _that_ close to who he hasn't, you know, done it with."

"Um…" Was it weird that her comment made me _really_ happy? "Well, I wouldn't say we're _close_." I answered.

"I'd call anyone who's been over to his house – no, in his _car_ is close. Actually.. anyone who he purposefully sits beside is close."

"Oh…" I still was a little bit reluctant to tell her my thoughts.

"Come on Sakura, I won't say anything, I promise."

"Well, I still don't really-"

"Neji, I'm really good at keeping promises, right?" she turned to Neji, who was sitting a couple of seats away from her and listening to his ipod. He answered with a 'right' although I believe he wasn't actually listening.

"See?" She said, turning back to me, "I just wanna know, and maybe I can help. And come on, you should be flattered if someone thinks you and Sasuke are getting together for more than a one night stand."

"…Okay," I said, finally giving in. Maybe a little confidence wouldn't hurt. Maybe Tenten was right, she could help me. "Truth is, I don't really know." I explained.

"Psh, how can you not know?"

"Well, it's true that there's something going on, but I don't know _what's_ going on."

"O-ooh. Okay, well, I can see how you don't know _what,_ considering this is Sasuke, but there has to be some details you can dish to me right?"

"Details? Like-"

"Like have you ever kissed?"

"…maybe."

"Sakura-"

"Yup! She's kissed him!" Naruto cut in, leaning towards our table. Apparently he had been eaves-dropping.

"Naruto – you don't know anything." I said, angry at his outburst – he had also caught a couple of other people's attention too.

"Yeah I do – If I haven't seen it then Hinata's told me about it." He stated, and I mentally noted to talk to Hinata about this. I also hoped that he didn't know that I kissed Sasuke _while_ I was still going out with Naruto.

"Ooo! Sakura, tell me about it!" Tenten cut in.

"Naruto's lying-" I answered

"I'm not lying!" "Naruto interrupted.

"Sakura tell me!" Tenten continued.

"Yes you are!" I said to Naruto.

"No I'm not!" he answered.

"How many times?"

"There weren't any times-"

"He kissed her seven times!"

"Naruto – stop it!"

"Sakura! You _minx_!"

"Don't listen to him Tenten."

"I swear it's true! Would Hinata ever lie?"

"O-oh, you _have_ to tell me more!"

"There isn't more to tell!"

"Yeah there is – what about the parties?"

"You were with him at parties?"

"No I wasn't."

"And in the car!"

"Naruto shut up!"

"In the car?"

"Okay well maybe we-" The bell rang for the end of the period, and I was thankful for the inquisition to stop. I hurriedly turned to pack up my things and get out of there. Probably more than just Naruto and Tenten were listening to the conversation.

"See you Sakura," Tenten suddenly said after packing up her own stuff, and she smiled slyly, turning her head towards the door.

"Yeah, see ya!" Naruto added, and rushed out the door as well.

_That_ was a quick exit from such brouhaha.

But when I turned to see why Tenten looked to the door and why Naruto left so quickly, I got my answer.

Directly in line with the frame of the door and leaning against the lockers opposite to it in the hall was Sasuke.

And he was looking right at me.

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Sasuke POV

_Why am I here?_

The question berated him over and over, but he still stood unmoving against the lockers.

She still hadn't noticed him even though she was right in his line of vision. Apparently she seemed to busy with the conversation between her Naruto and Tenten (yes, he knows someone else's name. It doesn't mean he cares).

It was only after the bell rang that she finally saw him. It took her long enough.

She started packing her things up more slowly than before, and if he hadn't been so far away, he could've sworn he saw her hands shaking just a bit.

"Yo!" Naruto said, winking as he ran out of the room and down the hall. Tenten smiled excitedly as she, Neji and Kiba followed at a slower pace.

Sasuke rolled his eyes, and then fixed him them back on his target.

She exited the classroom looking almost anywhere but his face, trying not to make eye contact. When she finally reached him, her eyes flickered up towards him and then back down.

She took a deep breath,

"Hi."

Her voice in that instant was quiet and breathy, and it had that same nervous tone that he remembered.

It was almost impossible to stop the smirk on his face.

Sasuke turned, possibly to hide that smirk, and motioned with his head for Sakura to follow as he walked down the hall. Rather than keep pace with him, she stumbled a couple of steps behind, still nervous. Seeing this, he slowed his pace – making their tandem inevitable.

Although silent, they walked side by side all the way to Sakura's next class. She paused before going into the classroom and turned to look up at Sasuke. He was looking past her, glaring at the occupants of the room she would be entering, and when he felt her stare, their gaze connected. He slowly turned his head towards her and his infamous smirk took the place of the previously held grimace – just to see her blush.

To see her get flustered, to have her turn incredibly red and look away, too know he was in control – to let _her_ know that he was in control.

However, as he turned and walked away to his next class, he thought of how totally out of control he was.

Walking beside her, hiding a smirk, glaring at others staring at her, smirking just to see her _blush_?

_What the fuck is wrong with me?_

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Sakura's POV

Forget the Buddhists- how am I supposed to become enlightened or to see the 'bigger picture' when I can't even understand what the heck is going on around me?

I mean, who is this intruder and what has he done with the real Sasuke?

_One_, he's even more incredibly gorgeous than before the Christmas break.

_Two_, he's gained about a gazillion times more muscle.

_Three_, what happened to all the glaring? Well he still glares, but not at _me_.

Four, what happened to the whole _"I'm ignoring Sakura if I'm not drunk and/or totally flustering her"_ thing? How come he's suddenly purposefully finding me, sitting beside me, _walking me to class?_ And most importantly – why hasn't he kissed me yet? I mean, not that it's a total bad thing – heck, I'm savoring every piece of attention from him I get, and I'm enjoying it all so much I don't even care that Karin has been following him as much as he's been following me.

I repeat, who is this intruder and what has he done with the real Sasuke?

**A/N hey guys, so the next update may not be for a while just cuz school is hectic and the next chapter is a bunch of new stuff that I have to write…. So yeah….. and thanks for your feedback on the other 15 chapters, im glad u guys like the changes**


	17. Chapter 17

Sakura POV

Sakura POV

Again.

It happened again.

The next day in first period I had rushed to be in the classroom early, so I didn't have to make the decision of where to sit. So I could leave it up to you-know-who. And it happened again. It's not just me being totally delusional – Sasuke Uchiha is going out of his way to sit beside me.

…Not that I mind, of course, but still. It's confusing.

And out of that confusion spurred a plan to get me some answers.

"Naruto!" I called down the hall as the blonde headed towards the doors to the parking lot.

It was after school – after art class where Sasuke sat beside me, English where I schemed about my plan, lunch where I stayed almost virtually silent as Sasuke sat beside me again, Instrumental where I tried to talk to Naruto but had to work the whole period, and Biology where again, I was virtually silent as Sasuke sat beside me – and I had to catch Naruto before he left to wherever he was going. I had to set my plan into action.

I ran after him when he didn't hear me, calling his name again.

This time he turned around.

"Hey Sakura, what's up?" he asked when I caught up to him.

"I have a favor to ask of you." I replied, getting straight to the point.

Naruto looked at the clock on the cell phone in his hands, "Sure… but it has to be quick."

"So, about Sasuke-" I started.

"Hah, I knew it was about Sasuke," he interrupted. I glared.

"Yeah, well… I need help."

"Help?"

"I just… I don't know what to do, I mean he sits beside me but he doesn't really say anything. He ignores me when I get up the courage to talk to him. He acts-"

"Woah, you're looking at the wrong guy for relationship advice."

"But you can actually help me."

"Help you how? I'm telling you I'm no good at giving advice."

"I don't need advice I just need you to do something for me."

Naruto looked at the clock on his cell phone again then to the doors leading to the parking lot. "Okay, I'll help, just make it quick."

"Thanks," I replied, "What are you in such a hurry for anyways?"

"I have a date with Hinata, and I told her I'd meet her at my car."

"A date this early?"

"Well yeah, you of all people should know how controlling, and stuff, her dad is."

"Right, her dad… well, I don't need you to help me right _now_, it's just something to do later – at the opportune time."

"Opportu-wha?"

"Opportune- like the 'right' time."

"Oh… right."

"Yeah," we started walking down the hall towards the doors. We were both quiet as I re-gathered my confidence to continue the conversation.

"So I just need you to get some sort of info from Sasuke." I finally said. "It doesn't have to be a straight answer, just some sort of sign to let me know what he's actually thinking."

Naruto was hesitant in answering; he's not the best at serious conversations. The fact that he was trying and not making fun of me or making suggestive jokes showed just how much of an influence Hinata was.

"…And how do I do that?" he replied after momentary silence.

"Well, you could casually start up a conversation."

"Like 'hey do you think this chick is hot?'" Naruto answered, mimicking an earlier saying of mine from Christmas break. I glared at him again, trying to fight down the smile.

"_No,_ just, I don't know, while your out somewhere or playing Xbox or something-"

"Xbox?"

"Yeah at his house, or just when you're with him in general, if you could-"

"Sorry Sakura, but Xbox is so last year."

"Whatever, just if you're ever with him could you…" I trailed off, realizing something. If Xbox is, according to Naruto, so last year, than what will I use as a conversation starter, or as an excuse to get close to Sasuke? "Wait – what about Xbox?" I asked, ignoring the fact that last year was only like, 10 or so days ago.

"Oh not much, just Sasuke and I don't play it any more. It's all about the PS3."

"PS3?"

"Yup we got it a while ago. Well, _he_ got it a while ago."

A while ago – but didn't Sasuke just get back from a cruise? "What? I mean, why? When?"

"It was his birthday, so we got it. I even paid a bit, as my present." Naruto said, and I stopped in my tracks. Naruto stopped as well.

Hold up.

His birthday?

His _birthday?!_

"Naruto!" I cried, horrified that I didn't know – I mean, if I'm trying to, you know, _be_ with Sasuke, then I should _know_ these things.

"What? What did I say?"

"You never told me it was his birthday!"

"Uh, yeah, I did. Like three times over the break – don't you remember?"

I struggled to say something, my mouth opening and closing wordlessly. Now that I think about it, if I look back, there actually _were_ times when Naruto told me – or rather, was _about_ to tell me. Still, I fought to argue what was obviously my mistake. "You should of still said something!" I almost yelled, starting to panic.

"Calm down Sak, it's not a big deal." Naruto said casually, and started walking towards the doors again. I followed, still stupefied, until I realized what I had to do.

"You have to help me!" We have to go to the mall! Now!" I blurted when we reached the doors.

Naruto paused before going through them, "I can't; I have a date with Hina."

I followed him as he went outside. "You can't leave me alone! You have to help me! What do I get him?"

"You don't have to get him anything," Naruto said, waving to Hinata who was standing by his car. "He probably doesn't even care."

"But it was his birthday – this is something I should have known! I mean, _you_ got him something," I replied as we made our way over to Hinata.

"Yeah 'cause I'm, like, his best friend. Plus, Sasuke doesn't do the whole receiving gifts thing."

"And I want to… well, you know; be his friend too."

Naruto grinned slyly, "Is that _all _you want to be Sakura?"

"Naruto – _seriously_. I need to get him a present. It was his birthday."

"Yeah, and he doesn't care. It doesn't matter."

"Naruto," I stopped our trek towards his car. Naruto paused too, noticing the difference in my tone. "Please, what do I get him? I mean, what do you get the guy who already has everything?"

"Fine," Naruto answered, giving in as we continued to walk. "Uhhh… I dunno… you could fuck him."

"Naruto! No!" I exclaimed, appalled, even though I shouldn't have been that surprised because it _is _Naruto.

"Well, you want to get the guy who already has everything something that he doesn't have. And _you_ know what – _or who _– he hasn't had yet," he replied suggestively while elbowing me playfully.

I returned the elbow to his ribs (hard), which I seem to be doing a lot lately. "Naruto! Something… _reasonable_!" I tried to ignore the fact that Naruto said 'hasn't had _yet_.'

"What, fucking's reasonable."

"I'm not going to… you know." I blushed at the thought.

"Why not? He'd enjoy it. You'd enjoy it."

"No." My answer was firm, and my face became a deeper shade of red.

"Well, that's all I can think of." Naruto answered.

"Are you serious? All you can think of for a present is sex?"

"Well, it's the only thing I can think of that he'd _like_."

I was silent for a while. Is that all Sasuke was interested in? No – there had to be something else.

"You c-c-could um, get him s-something meaningful," a small voice piped up between me and Naruto.

"Say what?" I replied instantly – this idea was getting somewhere. I looked to the voice and saw an extremely red Hinata – I didn't even realize we had already made it to Naruto's car.

"Well, if there was anything, um, particular, that happened to the b-b-both of you, then you could get something t-to signify that." She replied.

Oh my god, Hinata just saved my life.

"Hinata! You're a genius!" I said, voicing my thoughts.

"Yeah, that's why I chose ya!" Naruto added, pulling her close to him, loving the blush that was her reaction.

"W-well, I j-j-just-" she struggled for a response. In the mean time I had already started booking it to my car to get to the mall as fast as I could. "Thanks guys! I'll see you tomorrow – and have a nice date!" I called over my shoulder.

It was later, walking through the mall that I realized that, sure, I had an idea, but I still had no clue what to get Sasuke.

I had done some shopping for myself and gotten a smoothie to drink, to help me relax and solve this situation (while really just procrastinating the whole gift buying thing), however, my thinking was leading to nowhere.

Something meaningful. Something significant. …Just a question, but when has something even remotely meaningful or significant ever happened for him that involves me?

I mean, if I wanted to seem like a total loser and stalker, than I'd get something totally relating to the first time he's ever kissed me. But that's not significant for him.

I could maybe get something that reminds him of when we first met… but that wasn't very important, and it was really embarrassing on my part (leaning on the stupid paper towels…).

Or maybe something related to art class because we both take that subject – but then that will probably remind him of the time where I completely ruined his sketchbook and then he came back to school after smoking up and flipped out at me…. So never mind about _that _idea.

Maybe I could give him something to do with his car, because I know he prizes it above almost everything else. But that would probably remind him of when he was driving me home and I threw up in front of him…. Super embarrassing…. And gross.

So I guess I could get him something that has to do with Sarah. Except then the present won't be about him… and it could also remind him of how a) Sarah broke her leg because we weren't watching her, b) when she had a tantrum on Halloween and I was embarrassingly dressed up as a fairy, or c) when he found me digging through the sheets on his bed because Sarah lost one of her mom's earring in it… so I guess I shouldn't do anything about Sarah.

Okay, I could get him something to do with Naruto, because then it could be related to him _and_ it wouldn't have to be so personal. But then that may remind him of how I used to go out with Naruto and how there was a certain party that didn't go overly well between us.

Maybe I could get him a bottle of Calvin Klein's Contradiction – the cologne I spilled in his closet (the cologne that he wore the very next day). Wait – it seems that I'm getting a little too desperate here – I mean, giving him the bottle of cologne is totally saying that I've snooped around his closet. So that won't work.

Ugh – Why is it that the only gift ideas I can think about revolve around complete disasters?

Wait.

Disasters.

Disasters are significant, right? And important? And maybe even memorable?

Like, getting a gift that almost signifies something bad is kind of like making a joke of it, right? And by making a joke of it, the disaster doesn't seem so serious, and then it doesn't even seem like a disaster but just something that's personally happened between us.

Like a sort of inside joke.

The idea made me so excited I gave myself a brain freeze from drinking my smoothie too quickly.

And I had to drink it so quickly because I had to throw it out, because, see, they don't allow drinks in the Calvin Klein store.

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I was so excited.

So excited about the gifts I had bought for Sasuke.

So excited that on the way home in my car, at every stoplight that I had to brake at, I pulled out each part of the gift and looked at it until the light turned green.

The first part was obviously the bottle of cologne, as the first store I went to when I thought of my brilliant idea was the Calvin Klein store.

The second part of the gift was a sketchbook – because Sasuke is the most amazing artist – and I know that I completely ruined his.

The third was something a little less disaster related and more of an excuse to be near Sasuke – and also to fix the whole Xbox vs. PS3 problem.

I went to a videogame store and asked about the PS3 and heard that the system can connect up to seven controllers. And knowing Sasuke as well as I think I know him, he probably wouldn't have all seven – probably only 2 – one for him, and one for Naruto.

So getting another controller could innocently be a gift that relates to what interests Sasuke – and also kind of have the double meaning of inviting myself to play the PS3 with them… with Sasuke.

Anyways, I was so excited about the presents that I took a full 10 minutes of just looking at them in my car just after I pulled into my driveway – failing to recognize the extra car parked in front of my house.

That's why when I entered through the door I saw an unexpected scene.

In my living room was my dad sitting on the couch with piles of papers and folders and files on the coffee table in front of him.

On the other side of the table was Mrs. Carter, helping him work through the large stack in front of them and signing multiple sheets of paper. They both had glasses of wine out in front of them as well. On the floor beside them were even more stacks of paper, and Sarah, contentedly colouring in a book with some crayons.

What was going on?

"Hey Sakura," My dad welcomed me warmly with a smile. The way he smiled, the tone of his voice – I don't think I've seen him this happy since… well, since a long time.

Mrs. Carter turned from her spot to also welcome me while Sarah jumped from her spot on the floor and ran over, yelling 'Sakura!' Within moments her arms were wrapped around my waist in a quick hug, and then she was jumping up and down telling me about some sort of story involving colouring.

"Hi Sarah," I greeted her, and looked up to the adults in the living room, "Hi Dad, Mrs, Carter." I heard a 'please, call me Marie' before I asked, "Um, what's going on?" And I slightly hid the bags containing Sasuke's presents behind me.

Marie answered my question, "Well, your father has been working exceedingly well at the Corporation, and I thought he deserved a promotion."

"A promotion? Dad, that's great!" I replied – and my dad turned a light shade of red. Well, now I know where the gene for blushing embarrassing colours comes from.

"I shouldn't really have it, there wasn't anything important-" he started modestly.

"Nonsense," Marie politely cut in, she turned to me, "There was an issue in the department of the Corporation he was working in, and I was very impressed by the way he handled it." My dad turned an even deeper shade of red.

So the wine was for congratulations, but I was still confused by the mass amounts of paper. "And the massive amounts of paper are for…?" I prompted.

"Well, there were some issues still needing to be dealt with after the faculty's problem, which covers some of the papers here. The others concern your father's new office, the building he'll now be working in, his new contract and payroll, the contracts of others he's in charge of, the contracts of those beneath him, etcetera, etcetera." Marie answered (in detail).

"Wow, that sounds like a lot – what's your job now, dad?" I asked; surprised at how much he's receiving.

"Head of the Faculty of the Department of Business and National Relations." He answered, and I could hear the small amount of conflicting pride and disbelief in his voice.

"Uh…" I hesitated – what _the hell_ did that mean?

"It means I'm head of all of the business that Atlantic Beach has with other companies or other branches across the country." He replied, and I could tell how happy he was with himself.

"Dad, that's huge – Oh my god, congratulations! Mrs. Carter, thanks!" I replied with over enthusiasm – I still didn't know quite what my father meant in his job description.

"There's no need to thank me, it was all your father," She answered, "However I do believe that it deserves congratulations."

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What Mrs. Carter meant by 'congratulations' was taking me and my dad out to dinner. Originally she invited my mom as well, but there was an awkward silence after she asked, and my dad and I just looked at each other and I went into the other room and called her on the phone. When my mom answered she replied with underlying rudeness on the topic of my dad's promotion and said she was 'busy' and couldn't make it to dinner – however she wouldn't expand on what 'busy' meant.

Mrs. Carter, on the other hand, easily contacted her spouse, who wasn't being mysterious, and could join us for dinner – as opposed to my stupid mom.

And also, while she was on the phone to her husband, she asked to speak with Sasuke. Here's where my heart raced. My probably not healthy hopes and prayers that Sasuke would be invited to dinner as well were answered.

Mrs. Carter asked if he'd like to join us as it should be a family celebration – for my dad would now be working very closely with Marie – and that it would be enjoyable since I was there. She even specifically mentioned me as follows: "And you know Mr. Haruno's daughter, Sakura. It seems you have become friends over your science project. It would be lovely if you would join us."

Unfortunately, these wrongly elevated hopes and prayers were shattered with Sasuke's firm "no" that I could hear through the speaker of Mrs. Carter's phone and my pounding heart.

I sighed.

I guess it's just me and his little sister.

And speaking of which… where did she run off to? Oh no – losing track of Sarah is never a good thing. And…

Where is Samuel?

"Uh, I'm just going to put my shopping bags up in my room – um, when are we leaving for dinner?" I asked, and hastily made my way towards the stairs – thoughts of Sarah meeting Samuel terrorized my mind.

But when I burst into my room anticipating the worse, I found Samuel alone on my bed, minding his own business.

Thank god (or Buddha?).

I set my shopping bags down near my desk and walked over to Sam, picking him up and petting him in relief that he was safe from harm.

Except, that's when Sarah peaked into my room. The instant she saw Samuel, I knew it was going to be impossible to hide him.

"He's perfect." She stated in awe, and before I could think about what Sarah meant by perfect, and what Sam would be perfect for, she was running full speed at me and my defenseless cat, arms open to probably snatch him from my arms and squeeze and coddle him to death.

And I wasn't going to let that happen.

"Sarah! Wait! Stop!" I yelled frantically. She halted almost instantly at my words, though the eagerness to touch the fluffy thing in my arms remained in her expression and posture.

"Oh its so cute – pleeeease can I hold it?" She pleaded, still not taking a step forward from where I had stopped her.

"Uh, see, well…"

"Oh please? Oh pretty pretty pretty please? I promise I'll be careful! Please!?"

"Sarah, I don't know, Samuel he-" But she had already ignored my previous statement.

"Here kitty kitty," she called, holding her arm towards Sam and rubbing her thumb and fore-finger together.

Here I thought Sam would recoil, try and scratch his way out of my arms and dive for under the bed.

But the exact opposite happened.

Squinting his eyes in what could be a suspicious expression (if cats can be suspicious at all); Samuel extended his neck, and brought his nose very close to Sarah's still moving fingers. And then his front leg followed suit, except instead of going towards her hand, it reached past her arm and tried to paw at the necklace around her neck.

Sarah squealed in delight – and this time I was too slow to say or do anything as she snatched Sam from my hands, ran over to my bed and proceeded to cuddle him to death. The weird part was that Sam didn't mind.

So I left them both on my bed as I went through my closet looking for a nice dress to wear for the dinner Marie was taking us all to.

I decided on a small, black, simple dress, because it was versatile in that it would be appropriate for almost any restaurant – I didn't know whether it was going to be super fancy or not.

I even checked what Sarah was wearing to gauge the fanciness of where we were going, however I realized that Sarah, even for a six year old, is always dressed nicely. Actually, my true intention, when I peaked out of my closet to look at Sarah wasn't to check her outfit, but to check on Sam.

From where I was standing, I couldn't see him, but every couple of minutes I would hear a very annoyed sort of '_brrooww' _– which isn't quite a meow – meaning for Samuel, that something is annoying him.

So I peaked out when I heard the sound for the fourth time. Apparently, Sarah and Sam were playing a game with her necklace. While Sam sat one her lap, she was swinging her necklace back and forth and Sam was trying to catch it. But when Sam did manage to catch the necklace, Sarah would get this face that basically expressed something like '_Awwwww, you are SO CUTE!' _despite the fact that her necklace was getting partially destroyed. The '_brrooww' _sound came after said face, where Sarah would pick him up off her lap and squeeze him with all her strength – which Sam didn't like very much.

"Lightly Sarah," I mentioned, trying to resist the urge to run over there, grab Sam, and run away. "Sam is very, erm, fragile."

"Sorry!" She exclaimed, seeming suddenly distressed. It was then that I realized why Sarah is so spoiled at home – she is just way too cute. I mean, the look on her face in that instant made me want to either laugh out loud, or burst out an 'Awwww!'

So my reply to her suddenly distressed answer was to just say, "Oh, it's okay, just… be careful next time."

She nodded vehemently as I had my own 'You can never say no to Sarah' moment – I wonder if this is how Sasuke must feel.

I let my thoughts momentarily linger on that dreamy topic before I moved into the bathroom to brush my hair and freshen up my makeup, still keeping an eye on Sarah just in case (not that I could say no to her if she did do anything in a 'just in case' situation).

My dad called up the stairs to both of us as I finished up my makeup, telling us that we were leaving for the restaurant. I walked out of the bathroom to find Sarah leaving as well, except she was carrying Samuel, intention of bringing him with her set on her face.

"Sarah…" I started, "You can't bring Samuel with you to the restaurant."

"What? But…" she was immediately crestfallen.

"They don't allow cats in the restaurant," I explained, knowing that if it was possible for her to bring a cat there, I would have it done – just because she looked so adorable right then.

"Oh. Right," she replied, saddened understanding in her expression, "I forgot…" she continued, and placed Sam on my bed, who was just happy to laze where he was put down.

"It's okay. Come on – let's go to dinner." I answered, and on this topic change she immediately started chattering about the restaurants he mom took her to and which one they might go to. Vaguely listening to her, I let my thoughts trail off to Sasuke again, now almost knowing how he feels when he deals with Sarah.

As I ushered Sarah out of my room, still pretending to listen to her and still thinking about Sasuke, I caught my reflection in my bedroom mirror.

Looking at my fancied-up self in my reflection made me release a slightly depressed sigh – only in my dreams would I be dressing up like _this _to go out on a date with Sasuke.

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This morning was not going well. It seemed that the world just didn't want things to go my way.

Yesterday was fine, I mean the dinner went well, although it was a little awkward having it with Sasuke's parents at a super fancy restaurant. It was also a little awkward having my dad, Mr. Laid-back, be the centre of attention. But overall it was fine – maybe even a little fun (except it would have been even more fun if you-know-who was there).

But today just didn't want to work out.

I entered the school, hoping to have some sort of interaction with Sasuke, hoping that maybe today he wouldn't just walk beside me everywhere but actually speak to me.

However, I ended up watching him interact with someone else.

And it wasn't just any sort of interaction, nor was it just anyone – he was side-by-side, leaning against the lockers, and leaning in towards Karin.

From a distance it looked an awful lot like flirting.

Sasuke Uchiha flirting with Karin.

Yes, Karin, the thought-to-be-disliked-by-Sasuke Karin, the head-of-the-Sasuke-Uchiha-fanclub Karin. The annoying one who always follows him around and glares daggers at me when I'm within a ten meter radius of him.

At first I stopped in my tracks out of shock, and then I tried to act inconspicuous while observing the two on the other side of the hall. When shock wore off I kept moving, unconsciously clenching the hand that held Sasuke's concealed present, and slowing my pace so I could still watch whatever the hell Karin was doing with him.

As soon as I got closer though, Sasuke noticed my presence. He looked over his shoulder, his eyes giving me a once over as if to size me up, and a small smirk appeared on his lips. Lips that I caught myself staring at for too long.

It was Karin's carnivorous glare that made me stop staring, and it was Naruto's sudden approach behind me that made me keep walking.

"So… what's in the bag?" Naruto asked although he obviously knew from our conversation yesterday.

"Nothing." I answered, and pulled said bag away as Naruto reached for it.

"Oh come on, show me," he pleaded, making another grab for it.

"No, you wouldn't help me yesterday, so I'm not gonna tell you." I replied, acting as childish as he was.

"But what if it's really bad and he hates it, _but_ if you show me now, I could stop you from total embarrassment." He answered.

Crap. I hate it when Naruto uses the little amount of logic he has.

Because, what if he is right? What if my whole 'significant moment' thing was way off and he does completely hate it?

I sighed, admitting defeat. "Fine. But only if you're the one to give it to him. And say it was from me – and that I actually knew it was his birthday but you just forgot to give-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa – _I'm _not gonna give it to him – that'd be _so_ gay!"

"You have to – _I_ can't do it," I argued back – I mean, what would I even do? What would Sasuke do?

"But it's _your _present. Why can't you?"

"Well…" I sighed in defeat for the second time and leaned back against the nearby lockers. My gaze found its way to Sasuke and Karin who were flirting up a storm. Naruto's also followed.

"Oh." Was his simple reply. "Well, just because he's flirting with other girls doesn't mean he likes them. I mean, come on," for the second time this morning I received a once-over, this time from Naruto, "Nah, she's got nothing on you – Ino's the kind of girl Sasuke would only talk to… to make… someone…" He paused in his speech, "Hey, Sak, did I say anything wrong?"

The reason for the aforementioned questioning to his use of vocabulary is due to the fact that I have no colour in my face whatsoever – and I don't think I can breathe either.

"That's – that's Ino!?" I gasped, and looked past Naruto to where I had last seen Sasuke.

And there was Ino, talking very closely to Sasuke. And Sasuke was talking back.

I spluttered what was basically nonsense. I was trying to vocalize my thoughts on how he's freaking flirting with Ino – my supposed best friend Ino – when two seconds before he was flirting with Karin! And he hasn't even said anything to _me _yet!

"Oh man," Naruto said when he realized why I was so distressed. "Oh man," he repeated, traces of laughter now in his voice. And then he burst out laughing. "Oh he is _so _bad!" He exclaimed, continuing to laugh, completely forgetting me and my anxious state.

"What? Why? How is he bad?" I asked frantically.

"You don't see what he's doing?" He answered, his laughter calming slightly.

"No, what's he doing?" My voice increased an octave in my nervousness.

"He's trying to make you jealous, Sak. Oh man, is it working!" And he burst out laughing again.

_Oh._

Now I felt like an idiot.

A stupid, dumb, idiotic idiot who has a stupid crush on a stupid player. With a present in her hands for him, too.

Is it pathetic that I'm having trouble deciding whether to let my lip tremble because I'm that depressed about my stupidness and how Ino is flirting with Sasuke, or to be exuberant because Sasuke is trying to make me jealous?

I chose the spot in between.

"What… what do I do now?" I asked, and this time I knew, for once, that Naruto would have the right answer – after all, wasn't he, three months prior, as much of a player as Sasuke is now?

"Don't let it phase you." Naruto answered plainly.

"How?" I asked trying not to sound like a whining little girl.

"Simple. Give him the present yourself."

And that's how I found myself walking bravely (or feigning bravery) towards Sasuke in the parking lot after school, present clutched in hand, Naruto walking confidently beside me.

It was all Naruto's idea – he would invite me along with him to Sasuke's, since he was already going there in the first place. That would give me a good opportunity to give Sasuke his gift out of the public eye. I noted to myself that if this works, than I actually have to start giving Naruto credit, maybe even listening to his ideas more often.

"Remember, Sasuke's not the kind of guy who likes presents." He murmured as we approached the Maserati, Sasuke himself leaning carefully against it.

"I know," I answered just as quietly, even though I actually didn't.

"Okay, just giving you a warning," he said and then louder to Sasuke, "Yo."

Sasuke tilted his chin upward just a tiny bit in acknowledgment – his silence was probably due to the fact of my being there. I was proven right when his eyes flickered from Naruto, to me, and then back again.

"Oh right, I was thinking Sakura could tag along, you know she's never played the PS3 – we should show her how it's done." Naruto explained. I lifted my hand in a small wave, feeling more than awkward.

Sasuke played everything off nonchalantly. "Whatever," he answered and got in his car, acting like he didn't care.

However it seemed as if he was acting a little _too much_. Almost _over_-acting, if you know what I mean.

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As I silently followed the two to Sasuke's room, I was still clueless as to what I was going to do.

It was a good thing, though, that Naruto knew.

The second we all sat down on the couch and Sasuke started setting up the PS3, Naruto said, "I'm gonna go raid your kitchen for food, anyone want anything?"

I shook my head and Sasuke answered with a "Hn." I had no idea what he meant by that.

As Naruto made his way out of the room, with his back turned to Sasuke, he mouthed "_Now_" to me. I guess he expected that I would give Sasuke his present (which was still glued to my hand) in the little alone time he gave us.

"I…" I started to say when Sasuke sat down on the couch after setting up the game system.

I realized it was a lot more nerve wracking and awkward for me when we're alone than when we're in public. I mean, I had almost gotten used to Sasuke appearing out of nowhere to walk me to class or to my locker; it was starting to feel comfortable.

But now, even though he's just as silent as he is in school, I'm having trouble forming coherent words. Maybe it's because I'm just as silent as he is at school as well…

Sasuke looked at me when I didn't continue.

"I…" I started again, but couldn't finish the sentence. Instead, I forced my hand to let go of the present it was clutching, and push it across the couch to where Sasuke was sitting. I could feel my cheeks burning at my bold action, and couldn't help but to stare at my lap and hide my face with a curtain of hair. "Happy Birthday." I mumbled, embarrassed.

There were a few seconds of silence when I was afraid I'd have to dash from the room and to my car in embarrassment, totally ruining my chances with Sasuke forever. But after those seconds of silence, Sasuke pushed something _my_ way.

It was a PS3 controller.

Half of me was glad that he played it off coolly, and I didn't have to run for my life, but the other half was strangely depressed that he didn't take the time to even open my present.

So it was then, when the two halves of me were battling out, that my mouth moved before my brain could stop it.

"You're not… going to open it?" I asked, sounding distressed, and almost died of embarrassment. Seriously, I'm totally gaining confidence in the wrong way. How could I be so bold as to ask _the _Sasuke Uchiha to do something for me?

There was more silence that followed.

And it was the sound of a bag rustling which halted my internal freakout. I peaked at what he was doing through the corner of my eye.

Sasuke had used one hand to open the top of the bag, and I watched as he took a quick look at the contents of it. And then he went back to setting up the game for the PS3. That was it.

There wasn't a reaction, or even a word. I doubt he even actually saw what was inside. But if he did see what was there, then did he like it? Or hate it? Was he indifferent or did he think I was just plain weird? I didn't know because he didn't give any reaction.

What am I supposed to do now?

In my confusion, I panicked. And panicking usually, for me, leads to rambling.

"It's okay if you don't like it, I mean I just thought of some ideas and Hinata said something about significance, and disaster are significant and I wanted to apologize for some of the things I've done, and I know they're not really good gifts, I tried my hardest and Naruto warned me and said that you don't like gifts for some reason, but I thought I had to get you one because it was your birthday and I am so sorry, by the way, for not knowing that it was your birthday, so here is your present now for it and I already told you I don't mind if you don't like it I mean, they're not good gifts anyways, so you can return it if you want – see here – I've got the receipts in my purse, just let me grab them, you can take all of them back, it will be easy since I just got them all at the mall, just hold on while I get them from my wallet – see here, they are, um, you can just-"

"Sakura." His voice stopped my rambling. However it didn't stop my panicking.

I looked down, blushing at his incredibly sexy voice and my extreme stupidness, and realized that in my rambling I had _actually_ gone into my purse, took my wallet, and had taken out the receipts to his gifts (among others from that day of shopping) and had set them down on the space between us, half crumpled from my panicky attempts at swiftness.

Surprisingly though, Sasuke's dark eyes just observed me, and he didn't look at me as if I was a complete idiot.

However, Naruto did.

"Whoa, Sak. See? I knew you were a spaz." Naruto stood at the door, holding a bowl of instant ramen (of course) in each hand, with a 'wtf?' type of expression on his face. I stayed silent, as there really wasn't any other way to make the situation better for myself.

"Anyways," Naruto continued walking towards us on the couch, "Sasuke you gotta whip your kitchen staff into shape, I mean there's hardly anything to eat down there." He paused at Sasuke and gave him one of the bowls before he made room for himself on the couch, between me and Sasuke, by pushing the present aside – not even bothering to move the receipts.

Just a quick side note, but does this mean that 'Hn' means yes? Because Naruto asked if Sasuke wanted anything to eat and Sasuke said 'Hn,' and now Naruto brought him a bowl of instant ramen? Or maybe it was the tone of his voice that meant 'yes'?

I'm so confused…

"Wait, Sasuke, is this a present? Did Sak buy it for you? Aww, Sasuke I think that's the nicest thing anyone's ever done for you." Naruto joked, setting his own food on the ground before reaching for the gift. I was frozen in embarrassment, not able to move even to stop Naruto from getting the gift – I mean, how would Sasuke react if I acted like that in front of him?

Naruto started going through the gift as Sasuke stayed silent and almost angrily ate his food.

And then Naruto proceeded to embarrass me further by providing each part of the gift he pulled out with his own comment.

To the PS3 controller: A PS3 controller? Sak, he already has all the controllers he needs – who do u think we are, buying a game system and not every single accessory it has? Puh-lease.

The Sketchbook: Lame-o.

The Cologne: Ooh, planning to get cozy with someone Sak?

On the last comment, I elbowed him. He winced. Sasuke remained silent.

Again I felt like an idiot. My plan, if there even was one in the first place, totally backfired (mostly because of Naruto), and I was left totally embarrassed – could I get any more stupid? So when we actually got to playing the PS3, I just said that I'd watch; making myself as unnoticeable as possible until there was a good chance to escape.

This chance came when Naruto announced that he was going to search for more food. Now I know that this would have given me and Sasuke more alone time together, but really, since I am still embarrassed and confused, I have more of a chance at somehow impressing him when I actually know how to deal with the situation. So as he got up asking if anyone wanted anything like he did last time, I answered.

"Actually, it's probably best if I go now, erm, my dad's expecting me…" I lied, and gathered up my wallet and purse.

"Aw, Sak, you barely even got to play." Naruto said in a whiny voice.

"Yeah, well, maybe next time…" I answered, flicking my eyes nervously between the two boys, and then they settled on Sasuke for a couple of seconds, "Um, thanks for having me over, and, uh, yeah…" I trailed off lamely, mentally hitting myself in the head because apparently it _was _possible: I got even more stupid than I was before.

"Well, okay," Naruto replied, and then he walked up to me, his arms opening, "See you tomorrow," and the arms closed around me, encircling my shoulders and then my waist. I awkwardly hugged him back, not sure of what he was doing until he whispered in my ear, "Sasuke's not the only one who can make people jealous."

My eyes flickered to Sasuke, and saw him staring, no, _glaring_ at us. He was angry – or, as Naruto had planned, jealous.

I smiled to myself, and pulled away from Naruto. "Yeah, see you tomorrow."

"Actually, I'll walk ya to the door, I'm heading downstairs to the kitchen anyways, come." The blonde added, and he pulled me out the door.

My smile widened – Sasuke was getting _so_ jealous (or at least I hoped he was).

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Sasuke's POV

The door closed behind the two as they made there way down the hall. He could hear them laughing. Sasuke was left sitting on the couch, his now empty bowl on the ground beside him, his eyes still glaring at the spot where they were- where they _hugged._

_What the fuck?_

Why was he feeling suddenly hot, why could he hear the blood pounding in his ears, why could he feel his heart hammering in his chest? Why did he suddenly feel like tearing something to shreds or beating the shit out of someone?

Why did _he _suddenly, endlessly, start calling her 'Sak'? Was that a nickname? A pet name?

She can't have another nick name- her only nick name is paper towel girl. That's all it is. That's all it _can _be.

And then _why_ did he hug here? Why did she let him? Why did she- Wait…

Was he…?

_Fucking shit_.

No- he wasn't jealous. Sasuke Uchiha does _not_ get jealous. Especially over some girl.

Because he doesn't really _care_ all that much. No, he doesn't care that she now has a pet name, and that Naruto hugs her, and that she holds hands, skips down the hall and laughs with that _fucking blonde. _Probably laughing at him.

His hands balled into fists, unconsciously around one of the many receipts that were left behind. The sound of paper crinkling caught his attention, and he uncurled his fingers. Now he would have just thrown the piece of paper away, but the first three letters of the slightly crinkled title caught his attention.

_Vic…_

He started to flatten out the receipt, telling himself he wasn't curious, he just wanted to see whether Sakura was _that_ type of girl…

_Holy shit_.

Sasuke didn't think he had a very big imagination. To him, things were what they were and he really never thought otherwise. But as he looked at the title of the receipt, at what the receipt _said she bought_…

Victoria's Secret. 'Second Skin Satin' bra, 34 B, pink. 'Sexy little things' panties, small, pink. 'Sexy little things' panties, small, green.

Hundreds of images flashed through his mind. He could only imagine what a _second skin satin _bra would look like. What it would look like on Sakura…

And he was so enraptured with what was going on through his head, he almost forgot about the blonde-who-just-entered-his-room's existence.

Quickly banishing the thoughts in his head (or trying to), Sasuke crumpled the receipt back up in his hand again, so Naruto wouldn't see what he'd been doing the whole time he was alone.

"It's too bad Sak didn't get to play the PS3 today," Naruto said, striking up some conversation as they started the game again.

"Hn." Sasuke replied, hardly seeming to care.

"Oh well, maybe I'll go over to her place tomorrow and we can play there. Or maybe I can go this weekend," the blonde mused out loud, giving a side-long glance to Sasuke, measuring his reaction.

"Hn." Sasuke replied again with the same attitude.

Now Naruto was a little taken off guard by Sasuke's manner- wasn't this the same guy who was just moments before glaring hatefully at him? He was disregarding everything Naruto was saying, even when he went off on a desperate tangent talking about how they might go into her hot tub on Friday as well.

_Yeah, well…_

Sasuke smirked to himself.

_You don't know "Sak's" bra size._

**A/N.**

**Finally. Here it is. Sorry for the long wait, but a longer wait means a longer chapter (keep that in mind).**

**Oh, and a quick disclaimer: I don't own Victoria's Secret, lol.**


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

Sakura's POV

To simply put it, I was worried.

Worried about what happened yesterday, about Sasuke and what he thought of the gift, about what he thought of me. Worried about what would happen today, about whether he would ignore me or not, about him flirting with Ino and Karin again, about if he decides to confront me about the gift or about Naruto or about _anything_.

As I walked into the school I worried about seeing Sasuke in the halls, and as I got to my locker I worried about seeing a repeat of what happened yesterday (aka flirt fest with Sasuke, Karin and Ino). I worried when Naruto walked by me, nudging once and saying, 'Don't worry, I've gotcha covered,' because that meant Naruto was planning something (and we all know how well most of Naruto's plans turn out). I worried even more as I checked the clock on my cell phone and saw that there were only 6 more minutes until the beginning of class, which means only 6 more minutes until I have to go to Art, and Sasuke is in my Art class, meaning I have to be within a close vicinity of him for over an hour. Meaning I have to worry about dealing with whatever happened yesterday and the whole birthday gift thing- with Sasuke- for over an hour.

But you know what? I don't have to worry about that anymore. After piling all my binders and books and everything for class, I closed my locker, jumped, squeaked, and dropped everything that I was holding simultaneously; because on the other side of the door to my locker, unbeknownst to me, was Sasuke Uchiha. He was leaning against the lockers, arms crossed over his chest, looking down the hall in the opposite direction, as if it was completely normal for him to be there, half-stalking me.

I flushed and bent down to pick up my scattered books, looking out of the corner of my eyes to see if anyone had witnessed that embarrassing moment – unfortunately, they had. Ignoring the stares that I was receiving I continued to gather up my belongings, a touch of anger adding to my embarrassment.

He did that on purpose. I _know _he did that on purpose. What other reason does Sasuke have to be at my locker, without the intention of embarrassing me?

And Sasuke, _always_ the gentleman, didn't immediately say sorry or help me pick up the mess he was initially responsible for- instead, he slowly turned his head to look down at me, lazily raised his eyebrows in mock surprise, and, with a hint of a smirk on his face, murmured sarcastically, "Oh, did I scare you?"

And I would have been even angrier but – why did his voice have to be so incredibly damn sexy!? It rendered me defenseless. And as I stood up it seemed as if I wanted to laugh or giggle at his comment, to try and play it off and act cool, but all that came out was an "Um… I…"

It was a good thing he decided to speak next, because I really didn't have anything else to say. Reaching into his back pocket Sasuke drawled in that same ultra sexy voice, "I won't be needing these." And he handed me a tiny stack of white papers- papers that could only be the receipts I had frantically ripped out of my wallet yesterday at his house. A quick glance at them, now in my hands, told me that I was right.

"Oh, right. I, um…" Yeah, real smooth Sakura. But how could I do anything else when he's looking at me like _that_. With his eyes dark, smirking only the tiniest bit, leaning inwards like he actually cared about what I was going to say next…

And then we were just staring at each other.

But I know that this is probably what he does to every girl; that this was probably what he was doing with Karin and Ino yesterday, but it was just _so _hard to resist him…

The warning bell rang and I jumped. Two minutes to get to class.

Like yesterday and the day before, Sasuke signaled for me to walk with him. The gesture was familiar now: he would turn to start walking, his eyes on me, and then he'd tilt his head in the direction he was going, a silent "Come on," or "Let's go." And I would follow- because Sasuke may flirt with Ino and Karin and every other girl in school- but as far as I know, he's only walked _me_ to class.

As we walked to the Art room, I adjusted the books in my arms so I could take a look at the receipts Sasuke gave me- just to see if he had kept any of them to return any of the gifts.

I flipped through them and was pleased to see they were all there. I glanced at Sasuke, who was looking straight ahead, and smiled. Does this mean he liked them? The butterflies in my stomach flapped excitedly.

But as we neared the classroom, something didn't feel right. I looked at the receipts again. There was the PS3 controller, the sketchbook, the smoothie I bought, a shirt that was on sale that I just _had _to buy, the Calvin Klein cologne…

Everything was there, everything seemed fine. But then…

My eyes widened and my jaw dropped.

Oh no.

Oh my god.

Where is my Victoria Secret receipt?

I flipped through the receipts for the third time, and again just to make sure.

But it wasn't there. I think I was starting to hyperventilate as Sasuke glanced at me weirdly, so I tried to play it cool. And stay calm.

Maybe it's still in my wallet. Or my purse. Or at home. Or in the Victoria Secret bag.

It just _can't _be at Sasuke's house. It can't be- what if he and Naruto saw it? How embarrassing would that be?

We turned into the classroom just in time for the anthem to start playing. I took a deep breath.

It's going to be okay. Sasuke didn't see it. Naruto didn't see it. It's probably still in my wallet. Or my purse. Or at home. Or in the Victoria Secret bag.

Or at Sasuke's.

After I sat down, and after Sasuke sat beside me, after class had started and our teacher had started the lesson – the second Sasuke got up to go hand in a drawing to Ms. Lunids – the second I was alone – I tore through my purse.

But the Victoria Secret receipt was nowhere to be seen. And although I was freaking out on the inside, I had to stay calm and cool on the outside- I mean, I'm sitting beside Sasuke Uchiha. I can't be gnawing on my fingernails, pulling at my hair and whining in distress.

So I pretended everything was alright, though I have to say I could feel sweat gathering at my forehead in my extreme nervousness. I peaked at Sasuke, wondering if he noticed my odd behavior.

He was staring straight at me, and I flickered my eyes away immediately.

But…

I peaked at him again, this time long enough to register what he was doing.

And then everything clicked.

I turned my head away so no one would see my jaw drop to the floor in shock. Because Sasuke wasn't staring at my face, or my drawing, or anything _appropriate_.

He was staring at my chest.

Like, full on staring at my chest, kind of zoned out and caught up in his thoughts, but he was definitely staring. Staring _there._

He has it. He has my Victoria Secret receipt. Or at least saw it.

Why else would he being staring _there_, when he saw a receipt that was from Victoria Secret. And the things that were written on it!

Now, a couple of different emotions were reeling through my mind at that moment.

The first was an "Oh my God, I can't believe he's _doing_ that!"

The second was an "Oh my God, he's totally checking me out!"

The third was an "Oh my God, what is he thinking?"

The fourth, out of pure and utter mortification, the most dominating was a straight out, "Oh my GOD!"

I shifted my body away slightly, angling it so he couldn't actually keep staring, and out of my peripheral vision I saw something that made me bite my lip to stop a squeal of delight.

Sasuke, once I had shifted, had finally snapped out of his daze. He shook his head absently, distractedly, and he went back to work on whatever he was doing, a small frown forming on his face. But before that, he was completely _out of it_. Like totally caught up in, well… my, um… chest…

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When the class ended I was once again walked to my next class with Sasuke Uchiha. During the whole time I kept my books covering the front part of my torso for obvious reasons (cough-wanderingeyes-cough), however I could not get the image of Sasuke, distractedly shaking his head out of my mind. It played in slow motion, over and over, so that for all of English class, it was, unintentionally, all I thought about.

It was at lunch when I finally could focus on something other than Sasuke's ridiculously gorgeous face in my mind- as Sasuke himself had just walked into the cafeteria and the image was no longer in my mind, it was right beside me. Yes, Sasuke, for the fifth time this week chose to sit beside me at lunch. By now it shouldn't be such a surprise but when it comes to someone as impersonal as Sasuke, almost anything he does is a shocker.

Anyways, that wasn't the _real_ reason for why I could focus on something else other than what happened in Art class. The real reason is that today, for the first time, I got to experience one of Sasuke and Naruto's infamous bets. Or at least, that's how Tenten described it.

At first I didn't even realize what was going on. With the incident that happened this morning, and Sasuke now sitting beside me again, too much was on my mind to pay attention to what was going on in the real world. But then the noise level in the cafeteria started to grow and I snapped back to reality. Everyone at and around our table was either chatting, laughing, bickering, or listening intently- all centered around Naruto and Sasuke's conversation. They seemed to be arguing, and though it appeared to be in good humor, the look in both of the boys' eyes was way too competitive.

And then I picked up on to what they were actually saying.

Naruto laughed, raising an eyebrow, "Oh yeah? _You_ could 'settle down'? Sasuke, I don't think the world 'relationship' or even 'girlfriend' is in you vocabulary"

"You're an idiot Naruto, I could get a girlfriend anytime, anywhere." Sasuke replied; the swoons and chatter of the fangirls behind him proved his point.

What was going on? I leaned over to Tenten and whispered that exact question.

"What is _going on_? Sakura were you even – wait. Oh my gosh, this is your first time! Oka,y okay, okay – _you_ are about to experience an infamous bet." She replied, overly excited.

"A…what?" I asked, confused.

"So Naruto and Sasuke like to fight a lot right? They compete at almost everything- I mean, _you_ should know."

"Uh, right." I answered with a blush, choosing to ignore her last comment.

Tenten continued, "So sometimes they get really wound up, and out of that spawns a bet. But these bets are _huge_. Like one time, Sasuke had gotten a whole-"

That's when Naruto winked at me, and Tenten quieted immediately. I shifted uncomfortably in my seat- a wink means Naruto has a plan, and Naruto's plans don't really work out so well. It also didn't help that Hinata looked extremely anxious beside him- not in a good way.

"Sure you could get a girlfriend Sasuke, but could you keep one?" Naruto replied dangerously. Everyone at the table was silent now, minace the many girls giggling in the background, hanging on every word, knowing another one of their bets were coming up.

And amidst all of this, I suddenly remembered something from earlier this morning. Something that I had forgotten the moment Sasuke confronted me at my locker, something I was confused about – but now it was starting to make sense.

_"Don't worry, I've gotcha covered."_

His words rang loud and clear in my head and I suddenly started to feel a bit nauseous - what was Naruto planning _now_?

Said blonde leaned forward and continued, as Sasuke leaned back in his chair, arms crossed, eyebrows raised, smile smug, and waiting for the competition. "I _bet_, you couldn't get a girlfriend and keep her – being a faithful _boyfriend_ – for a week – no, two weeks." At this, he winked at me again, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't stop the feeling of hope bubbling up inside me, even though I knew it was a plan thought up completely by Naruto (and we all know what that means).

"Two weeks?" Sasuke drawled in slight amusement, "Naruto, you don't have very high expectations of me, do you?" It was so hard to keep the butterflies in my stomach under control when he spoke like that.

Naruto in return raised his arms slightly, palms facing his opponent, "All I'm saying, is that I don't expect much from a guy who screws practically ev..." He trailed off when the pale hand of the girl beside him squeezed his arm. Everyone's eyes shifted to the wide-eyed Hinata momentarily, who became the censorship of the conversation (well, the scowling Neji at the other end of the table was more of the real reason). But even though Naruto didn't complete the sentence, his intent was very clear, especially to Sasuke.

They stared each other down, Naruto grinning, Sasuke speculating.

"Deal." Came the crisp reply of the darker haired man, his eyes glaring in Naruto's direction (although I could tell Sasuke's eyes held some sort of silent pride for being the guy who screws practically ev- well, you get what I mean.)

The rules of the bet were made clear within seconds- Sasuke must date a girl for the period of two weeks, meaning the whole ensemble: dating, holding hands, _no cheating_, being a civilized human being to his girlfriend (made clear by Naruto), going to parties together. Staying at parties together. Leaving parties together. And if Sasuke couldn't accomplish this task, he owed Naruto a hundred dollars (i guess that's not very much for someone as loaded as Sasuke). What Sasuke didn't notice though, was that there was no reward for him, if he won. Maybe he didn't need one- after all he has practically anything he wants- or maybe he was too caught up in his own ego to know. But regardless of the rewards, in almost no time at all, the two boys were shaking hands, along with many others surrounding the table making their bets on this one.

And then Naruto, with a smirk, leaned back in his own chair and checked his watch, not before wiggling his eyebrows at me briefly and giving me a wink for the third time, confident in his plan- while Hinata beside him looked very worried about that plan. I could only watch silently, the hope almost bursting like a fountain as I realized what Naruto was actually trying to do.

"Alright," Naruto said, "You think you can handle two weeks?"

Sasuke gave him the 'puh-leeze' look.

"Well," the blonde continued, "You best get started."

Sasuke tilted his head back, scoffing, his eyes on Naruto the whole time. My heart was beating harder than a hammer on a nail.

"Karin," Sasuke said evenly, and the redhead appeared almost instantly at his side with a huge grin on her face. "We're going out tonight."

I froze.

Naruto's mouth dropped.

Hinata's eyes widened even more as her hand rose to cover her mouth.

Karin shrieked.

I heard snickers, I heard giggles, I heard sounds of disapproval and sounds of outrage. I even heard my own heartbeat drumming in my ears.

And then I heard Sasuke say, with his eyes never leaving Naruto but his head tilted toward Karin, "I'll pick you up at seven."

He smirked as Naruto sulked and as all of the hope that had built up within me went straight down the drain.

But somehow- as I recovered from my shock, as Naruto glared and as Sasuke smirked right back at him, as Karin shrieked and giggled and threw her newly appointed status into everyone's faces- I think that Sasuke saw right through Naruto's plan to the true intentions he had underneath.

And somehow, I think he saw another, even bigger challenge.

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I think I was going into shock – I couldn't feel anything, I couldn't say anything- the world seemed to spiral before me as the seconds ticked by after those fateful words. I mean, did that _really_ happen?

I looked at Naruto, who looked at me with his eyes wide and his mouth open- I had a feeling that my face mimicked his.

My eyes panned across the table after, ignoring the crowd, seeing everyone else's face who sat with us at lunch. And they seemed to be in shock, or trying to hide shock.

It made me feel a little bit better about the tears stinging the corner of my eyes.

"Whoa. I was not expecting _that_." Tenten murmured quietly. She looked at me to gauge my reaction, but by that time my eyes were glued to the table, facial expression locked, not daring to move in case I broke out into hysterics or something like that.

And no matter how frozen time seemed to be in my world, it was still ticking away in reality. By the time I had gathered up my senses, Sasuke had already shifted over and a chair was placed between us, immediately occupied by Karin.

Harsh.

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"Listen, Sak, I am so sorry." Naruto exclaimed as we walked to Instrumental together after lunch.

"Why are you sorry? You didn't do anything wrong," I replied, forcing my voice not to quaver. I was playing it cool, pretending that this whole bet thing didn't really matter to me at all – even though there was a hysterical banshee wreaking havoc in my mind, throwing a tantrum and probably cussing Karin in every way possible. It's probably not very psychologically stable for a person to be as masked as I was at that moment, but I had been repeating the same thing to myself since I realized that _yes_, the bet actually happened, and _yes,_ Sasuke and Karin are going out:

_Just get through the day. Go to Instrumental, and then go to Biology, and then go home and have a nice weekend and then everything will somehow be okay when I get back to school on Monday._

However, Naruto's extremely guilt ridden apologies weren't helping me at all.

"Ugh, it's all my fault. Sasuke _would _do something like that – and I should have seen it coming from the guy who screws practically ev-"

"Naruto. I get it. It's fine."

"Seriously, I didn't mean it to go that way. Sasuke's just a bastard, I mean, I should have _known_ he'd pull something like that and-"

"Really Naruto, it's okay." I reassured him, though everything he said made me continue to think about Sasuke and Karin. Everything he said made tears well up in my eyes.

"But it's _not_ okay. I mean I just ruined the perfect chance for you guys to get together." He said, and I nearly reached my breaking point.

Because he was right. Now that Sasuke and Karin were going out, I didn't have a chance with him. Even if it's only for two weeks, I'll be old news to him by then. And knowing Sasuke, after having a taste of the whole dating thing, he'll go straight back to being the player that he always was, out of pure relief. Or the impossible could happen - what if he ends up staying with Karin?

I suddenly knew that I couldn't possibly go to Instrumental – because after instrumental is Biology, and not only is Sasuke in that class, Karin is too. And I know it's kind of lame that I'd be a no-show at Biology, but how could I even begin to _think_ about entering that classroom and facing _him_?

So I stopped in my tracks and willed for my voice not to come out shaky and weak, "Hey Naruto," I started.

He turned and gauged my expression. "Sak, are you feeling okay?"

"No, I just, um, I just have a really bad headache." I lied lamely, "I think I'm just going to go home."

He gave me no grief, most likely knowing the truth, "Okay, I'll tell the teach. You want me to walk you to your car?" he asked, and I briefly smiled, knowing that only a couple months ago I would have died to have him say those words to me.

"No, it's okay. You'll be late for class if you do." I answered, and he nodded although he didn't care if he was late at all.

"Kay, I'll see you Monday," he said, and after giving me a small pat on the arm, turned on his heel and continued towards the Band room. I turned and walked in the opposite direction feeling pitiable.

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Is it really pathetic that the second I got home I flopped into bed and sulked? And when I got bored of just laying there in misery I moped to the TV room with a blanket and pillow, flopped onto the couch, made a makeshift bed, and then sulked some more?

And when it was time to feed Samuel, I didn't really try too hard because I was that desolated? Or when it was time for dinner and I sat at the table, morose and picking at my food? How about when my dad noticed my mood and tried to cheer me up by taking me out for ice cream and I went along with him and faked being all happy? Or when I got home after that, pretended to be cheerful again but really went back to my makeshift bed and watched TV until I fell asleep?

Talk about a bad case of teenaged angst.

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Three things made Saturday even worse.

The first was that I realized, upon awakening that morning, that everything that happened the day before was not just a bad dream. And _that_ basically ruined my entire weekend.

The second was that Puriti, although the majority of the time we spend together I want to tell her wear she can shove it, was leaving that evening.

And the third was that Sasuke and Karin go on their first date today. And he's picking her up at seven.

And even though from seven o'clock on I was conformed to super sulking mode, exactly twelve hours later made up for it.

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I woke up to my cell phone ringing.

Still groggy, I reached over to my bed-side table and answered, "Hello?"

"Sakura." The voice on the other end was smooth, deep, and recognizable.

I bolted upright, now wide awake, "Sasuke?"

My heart hammered and the butterflies fluttered. It's amazing how happy I was in that instant, by just hearing is voice, compared to what I had been the past two days.

The other end was silent. I could hear an annoyed sigh mixed in with the background noise of what I think was crying. For a second I thought about asking him how is date went with Karin *gag*.

When there was still no reply, I said is name again, "Sasuke?"

He answered after a couple more seconds of silence. "…Bun- Bun died."

"What?" I replied instantaneously, nervousness and confusion filling my voice.

More background noise followed, and then,

"Wear black."

"What?" I asked again.

My answer was the dial tone.

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Maybe I should have said 'Pardon?' or 'Could you please repeat that?' instead of just a plain 'What?' Maybe if I had been more polite or not so sleepy then I could have gotten an answer to why I was searching through my closet for something black at seven o'clock in the freaking morning. And maybe I could have gotten an answer to who or what 'Bun- Bun' was.

And as I stood there, going through my drawers and hangers, I wracked my brain for any sort of clue to this whole mystery. I thought back to anything related to Sasuke. It could be about his parents, or Naruto, or…

Sarah.

"Oh shit!" I yelped and threw on the nearest item of black clothing, grabbed my car keys, and ran out the door.

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As I entered the gated community that the Carter's lived in, an orange Lexus appeared in my rearview mirror. That could only be Naruto. So the situation was even more serious than I originally thought it was. Poor Sarah.

After I pulled into the Carter's driveway I waited for Naruto as he parked behind me. He got out of his car and we walked to the front door together. I had to note that he looked very attractive dressed all in black (Hinata don't kill me). When the doorman let us he told us to head straight to the back of the house and outside.

The ceremony was held in one of the gardens in the backyard. Actually, the garden at the very back of the backyard, meaning it took a full two minutes just to get there, that's how far away it was.

I could see Sasuke's tall figure as we approached and was nearly winded when he turned to look at us. He was dressed in a black button up shirt and black pants that contrasted sharply against his pale skin. His coal black eyes glared at us, and although I was practically blinded by how extremely gorgeous he looked, I did notice that he glared because Naruto and I had arrived together. I knew because of the way his eyes flickered between us and how they narrowed when they landed on Naruto.

"Sakura! You're here!" cried a voice and I snapped out of my daze when I realized that the reason I was here was because of the little girl who ran towards me, wrapped her arms around my waist, buried her head into my stomach and wept uncontrollably. Oh yeah, Sarah.

"Hey, I'm here too!" Joked Naruto and Sarah sniffed and lifted her head slightly to peek at him.

"High Naruto," she mumbled shyly and turned back to my stomach. "Isn't it awful?" she asked after a couple sniffles, now more composed than she was earlier.

"Oh it's okay Sarah," I answered. "Bun-Bun's gone to bunny heaven."

"Yeah, with all the carrots she could eat." Naruto added, and I gave him an impressed smile- he actually had some useful input. Out of my peripheral vision I could see Sasuke staring at me and I tried my hardest not to look at him- I mean, I _should_ be mad considering he completely blew me off two days earlier and now woke me up at 7 on a Sunday to do a favor for him. But it still made me shiver knowing he could be jealous of me and Naruto.

"I guess," Sarah replied, and she pulled away from me to grab a hold of my hand. I looked down to see tears and little kid snot stained on my shirt. Mmmm, lovely.

I looked at Sasuke to see if he noticed, but his eyes were warily watching Sarah as she pulled me toward the tiny grave in the garden. And so the funeral service started.

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"Bun-Bun was a good rabbit." Naruto started dramatically. "She always ate her vegetables and never complained when anyone held her. I remember she used to frolic amongst the fields, playing with butterflies, tumbling in the grass-"

"Bun-Bun never went outside." Sarah interrupted plainly.

"Oh. Uh, well…" Naruto fumbled for something to say as Sarah's lip started to tremble.

"I should have taken her outside," she mentioned and tears welled up in her eyes.

"No, I, uh, didn't mean it that way-" He tried.

"Sarah, it's okay, he didn't mean to-" I cut in.

"I should have taken her-"

"Sarah." It was Sasuke's deep voice that cut through our frantic words and caught Sarah's attention. She looked up at him, tears in her eyes and her face red. Funny, how he only had to say one word to get her awareness. Sarah looked at up at Sasuke, the corners of her lips pointing downwards.

"Uh, I'll go next," I said quickly so she wouldn't start crying again.

I switched places with Naruto so I was by the grave facing the audience of three- and I could feel Sasuke's eyes on me the whole time. I frowned and cleared my throat, unsure of what to say, as I had only heard of Bun-Bun when I had babysat Sarah for the first time. So I completely bullshitted it.

"Bun-Bun was a good rabbit." I said, repeating Naruto's words. "Uh, I didn't know her personally, but I know that she touched people's lives. And she will forever be in our hearts, um, giving us the strength and courage that she portrayed everyday. Even though Bun-Bun has passed on to another life, her spirit remains here, watching over us. Rest in peace Bun-Bun."

Naruto clapped dramatically, knowing the whole thing was entirely made up. I walked back to my spot, embarrassed, and elbowed him. He quieted.

"Sasuke? It's your turn." Sarah said, and tugged on his sleeve.

"No." Was his simple and totally expected reply.

"Sasuke pleeease?" She asked, knowing that she had every right to get her way because her pet just died.

"No." He answered again.

Her lip trembled for the third time, "Please?" And this time I could tell that it wasn't just the puppy-dog eyes she was pulling.

"Uh, Sasuke mourns in silence." I blurted when her eyes turned glassy. I could feel all eyes but Sarah's on me. Instead, she patted Sasuke on the arm and whispered, "It's okay. I understand."

I pursed my lips to hold a smile and Naruto coughed loudly to hide his laughter. Sasuke glared at both of us. When his eyes turned to me, our gaze caught momentarily, until his look turned blank and he turned away.

It seemed as if he was giving me the cold shoulder now. Was it because of what I said? Or was it something else? Or was it that Naruto just slung his arm around my shoulders?

"I don't know about you guys," the blonde said, "but I am starved."

"Yeah, yeah, me too," Sarah agreed, "Sasuke, can we go to Starbucks?"

"I kind of missed breakfast with all of the commotion," I admitted nervously and flickered my eyes up to Sasuke. He wasn't looking at me.

"It will make me feel better." Sarah insisted.

"Whatever." Sasuke replied, and Sarah cheered, finally out of her gloomy state. If only I could get out of mine.

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As we walked through the house towards the front door I asked Sasuke where his parents were, as they weren't at the 'funeral.' His reply was a stiff "not home." I didn't say any more. Why was he being so cold now? Is it _that_ different now that he's not single anymore? The thought practically killed the butterflies in my stomach.

When we reached the driveway I noticed how inconvenient it was that we all had our own cars. Not only is it stupid for all of us to drive separately to the same place, but it also meant that I don't even have a chance of riding in Sasuke's car again.

"I want to go with Sakura!" Sarah cried and ran to my side. Then again, maybe I will have a chance.

"Fine you can go with her." Sasuke stated and went to his own car. Then again, maybe I won't.

"I don't have a car seat," I uttered without thinking, unconsciously trying to hitch a ride with him.

Sasuke looked at me as he got in his own car. "It's a two minute drive, Sakura," He stated, his tone condescending. My expression, along with what felt like my stomach, dropped.

"Oh… okay." And Sarah and I walked to my car. "Make sure to buckle up," I told her when we were inside and sitting down. "Gotcha," she answered.

Since Naruto was in the driveway last, he drove in his own car and pulled out so we were free to move. I went second and followed him, followed by Sasuke.

I drove extra cautiously, just because I had Sarah in the back without a car seat and I didn't want anything to happen. I guess since I was driving so slow, Sasuke got impatient behind me. He passed me within two blocks of his house so he was in front, but also behind Naruto. It was funny to watch Sasuke try and pass Naruto as well, but Naruto swerving just slightly so he couldn't.

During the car ride I turned on the radio, and when Sarah said she loved the song that was playing, I decided to blast it just to cheer her up even more. I even started to dance a bit with her when she started really getting into the music, until I realized that Sasuke was in front of me and could see us rocking out through his rearview mirror. Again, my mood was shot down.

When we reached Starbucks, the instant we were inside, both Sarah and Naruto bolted to the only two comfy chairs by the window, claiming them as their own. I rolled my eyes at Naruto, kindly took his order and went to the cashier. Sasuke did the same for Sarah.

We stood in line together, side by side, not speaking and not looking at each other (well, if you don't count me looking at him through the corner of my eyes). When our orders were ready he took his silently and brought it back to the table. I followed quietly and nervously. Sasuke took a chair from another table and pulled it up to ours, and I also did the same, however I noticed that he distinctly place his between Naruto and I…

When we both sat down, Naruto instantly piped up conversation and made things a little less awkward. That is, until he asked Sasuke how his date went.

"Hn," was the brunette's reply.

"So, where did you go?" Naruto continued, ignoring the fact that Sasuke didn't want to talk and that it was really awkward for me.

"Dinner. Movie," answered Sasuke, taking a sip of his coffee. His eyes briefly flickered to me and then away.

"Which one?" Prompted Naruto.

Sasuke sighed, clearly annoyed, "Does it matter?"

"Well, no, depending on what you did during the movie…" Naruto trailed off. Sasuke raised an eyebrow. The blonde continued, "So, what _did _you do during the movie."

Sasuke took a sip of his coffee, I did the same, not wanting to hear the answer.

After a couple of moments of silence, Sasuke replied, "What do you _think_ we did?"

Naruto didn't answer, I kind of felt sick, and then Sarah, who had been relatively silent up until now, said, "Watched the movie. _DUH._"

We all looked to her, and I had to smile at her cute little six year old naivety. Naruto thought the same and burst out laughing, while Sarah looked at us, unsure of how her sentence was funny at all. I also think I saw Sasuke's lips twitch slightly as his eyebrows raised.

Through Naruto's laughter and my giggles, she frowned and then piped up again, "Sasuke, what's your girlfriends name?"

Our laughter died and we returned to partial awkwardness again.

"Karin." Sasuke replied in a monotone, a sigh included.

"Is she pretty?" asked Sarah. I bit my lip- although I really didn't want to be in this conversation, I simultaneously really wanted to know what Sasuke thought of his _girlfriend_.

"Depends," was his indirect answer.

"Well is she pretty like Sakura? Or Rock Star Barbie?"

I held my breath in anticipation, my stomach doing flips in suspense. I saw Naruto chewing on the edge of his cup, and Sarah, well, she sat swinging her legs off the chair, innocently waiting for an answer.

In the quiet that surrounded our table, I could hear Sasuke's foot tapping on the floor- was he thinking of an answer? Or was he just really annoyed and didn't want to talk? Or maybe it was both? Or maybe-

"No."

Sasuke's monotone voice echoed in my mind. At his answer a shiver rushed down my spine, and if I wasn't sitting in a chair I would have fallen, as I think my knees turned to pure jelly.

Sarah broke the silence again, "Oh… well then I don't think I like her." She shook her head to confirm her answer.

"Good," came Naruto's instant reply, "Cause she's a red headed carnivorous bi-"

"Naruto."

Sasuke and I both said at the same time, warning Naruto that he had to censor his language. I blushed like I was in grade two and Sasuke glared.

"I was only-" Naruto started, but then, I think he saw some sort of connection between Sasuke and I in that instant. Not just because we said something at the same time, but that it wasn't so awkward anymore, that Sasuke wasn't being so cold, and that I wasn't so nervous – that things were relatively normal again. So he quieted instantly, and instead started a new conversation, about something or other – but I didn't really listen.

Because Sasuke's knee gently pressed against mine underneath the table, and I was practically in heaven.

At first I was dizzy in shock, that Sasuke would even pull something like that _now_ confounded me. That he was suddenly trying to fluster me again, even though just moments before he was Mr. made of stone. Then, I was embarrassed and confused at the small smirk he gave me when I glanced at him.

I took a long swig of my latte, my face beat red. These mixed signals he's giving me are going to drive me insane.

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Luckily Monday was better. Not during the day, for the whole time I was forced to witness Sasuke and Karin frolicking about the halls and classrooms of the school, holding hands and cuddling (okay, maybe just Karin). I was almost completely nonexistent to Sasuke, even though I was in some of his classes and sat like two seats away from him during lunch, and even though he should be thanking me for waking up early and doing that favor for him yesterday. And the worst part was when I saw them kissing in the hallway between classes. I didn't even mean to, and out of respect I _should_ have given them privacy instead of stopping dead in my tracks and staring. However when it comes to Sasuke, my body has a mind of its own.

So I may have – I'm not saying I _did_ – but I may have looked around to see if anyone was watching me, and thrown my pencil in there general direction before speed walking my ass to chemistry class.

Or I may have just secretly and jealously watched them out of the corner of my eye while walking by, to wussy to do something so bold.

But I'll just keep that a secret.

And it's not like them kissing is a huge deal anyway – I mean that's what boyfriends and girlfriends do. And its not like they were getting really into it, rather Sasuke was just standing by the lockers, an arm around Karin's waist while she attacked him as mildly as she could.

Anyways, after school, things finally started to lighten up.

I had gotten home and to the kitchen to feed Samuel, where I found a pizza delivery brochure very noticeably set out on the counter, which could really mean only one thing: Golf Championships. Or a tournament. Or something important and golf related on TV.

See, my dad isn't one to really ask you to do something for him; rather he leaves a kind of clue that he does want something, and if you're willing, he'd like it a lot. This whole pizza brochure thing is exactly that. I don't know exactly when it started but we have this kind of tradition, where every time there is some important thing that has to do with golf or football or something, we order in pizza and watch it together. And I may not even know what's going on in the thing we're watching, but my dad is the type to be extremely happy just because of my presence on the couch beside. So I endure the long confusing hours of watching sports just for him. Plus there's the junk food factor that always makes it better.

So I call my dad and get the time of the golf event and his order for pizza, which are respectively, 6 pm and Hawaiian.

And then practically two seconds after I hung up, the phone, which was still in my hands, rang.

I answered with a simple 'hello?'

"Can you meet me at the mall in a half hour?" The question was stated in a way that already concluded my agreement without me saying anything. Guess who.

"Uh, Sasuke?" I asked, and the lack of an answer was a clear enough response. "Um," I checked the time, it was four thirty. That meant I really didn't have time to go to the mall in case I didn't make it back in time. I breathed a sigh because I hated what was going to come out of my mouth, "I have plans, I ca-"

"Never mind. I'll just pick you up now." And he hung up right after that. What's with him and hanging up abruptly? Hasn't he ever heard of manners?

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The funny thing is, whether I knew it or not, my decision had already been made the moment I knew it was him on the other end of the phone, even though currently I was in denial.

I waited by the window, watching for his car. My mind was set on telling him no, that I couldn't just be at his every beck and call, because I have plans. But as his car pulled up to my house, I could already feel my resolve unraveling. He didn't get out or come to the door, or even honk – he just sat in his car, waiting. I huffed, and exited the house – he knew that I'd be waiting for him to come… jerk.

Determined to turn him down, I tapped on the car window instead of opening the door. He rolled it down and I leaned in.

"Hey, um…" Wow, great start. But I had looked into his eyes and there was no hostility or anything, so I rethought the situation. Maybe Sarah needed me, or maybe he needed my help, or maybe… well, a girl can always dream.

"I just have to grab my stuff and write my dad a note." I said quickly, changing my mind completely. I know its silly, because I don't even know what we're doing or why he needs me, and I know I shouldn't just give up my plans for a him, but I can't help it. It's Sasuke. Plus when he looks at me like he just did, with his eyes dark and expecting, like he knows I want to be there, it gives me butterflies in my stomach – simply, he's to hard to resist.

At my answer, Sasuke gave a look saying, "And your telling me because…?" I got the message and ran back into my house, where I did the two things I said I had to do.

I went back outside and this time entered Sasuke's car, reveling in the car ride that I was robbed of yesterday.

As we drove away from my house I did make one request to at least give me back some of my dignity. "I have to be home by five thirty," I blurted, and inwardly groaned – what I tried to make a bold statement came out a half question.

In response, Sasuke gave me a lazy glance, and then pressed down on the gas pedal, accelerating to the speed that he likes to show off in. I bit my lip and settled in for another James Bond experience.

When we reached the main roads and Sasuke was forced to drive like a sane person again, I finally decided to get some information.

"So, why are we going to the mall?" My question sounded uneasy.

"Sarah." Was his answer. Could he never just give me the full explanation, or did I have to prod it from him?

"I… is she okay?" I asked.

"Her friend got a new dog, Sarah came home hysterical." He replied tiredly.

"Oh." And I understood immediately. Sarah _would_ come home from school hysterical when she just lost her beloved pet, and her friend just got a new one.

"Hn."

"So we're going to get her a new pet?" I responded, finally glancing at him.

He gave me a look that said, "No shit," and I was momentarily angered by his behavior. I mean, wasn't _I_ doing a favor for _him_?

So I said with out thinking, my tone bitter, "Why isn't your _girlfriend_ here then?"

Out of my peripheral vision, I saw his fists clench the steering wheel hard.

He didn't respond to my question. I think he was mad at me.

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When we reached the pet shop, I realized how much Sasuke needed my help. For a while we stood in front of the store, staring at the ruckus inside – while all of the animals were in their cages, it didn't stop their voices. The noise left Sasuke rubbing his temples.

To him, I think it was an ordeal; entering the noisy place, going through animals, I mean, doesn't he have to do the whole thing where he sits down with the employees and gets to hold the animal and stuff? Like, how could Sasuke possibly pick out a pet for Sarah on his own? I can see now why he needed me there.

"Well," I started, as if this would be some big adventure, "let's go." He followed me in as I entered the shop.

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Twenty minutes later we were still wandering the aisles and cages, with no progress. Sasuke wasn't helping me at all, and when I asked why his parents aren't getting the pet and why he is, he answered, "They're not home yet. And I just need her… to shut up."

I realized that the last comment about Sarah is really his own way of saying he just wants her to be happy. Sure, it wasn't said exactly that nicely, but the meaning, at least to me, was clear. So I decided to take charge, as we were getting no where with Sasuke in the lead.

And the moment I actually started to seriously _think_ about Sarah and what pet we should get her, the answer came to me immediately.

"We should get her a cat," I announced and marched over to the cat section. Sasuke followed, appearing uncaring and bored. I bet he was.

I then explained to him the story with Samuel, when Marie and Sarah came over to my house for my dad's promotion. I explained how Sarah loved him so much she practically strangled it, which I hope she won't do with the new one we're about to get her.

After my reasoning, Sasuke's only reply was, "Whatever." But I believe he was secretly grateful.

Choosing which kitten wasn't hard. When we (I) asked an employee to see them outside of the cage, I instantly saw three kittens that were Sarah worthy. But it was the third one that I held that I knew was the one. She was small, white, super fluffy and incredibly adorable. The second she was in my arms she cuddled right up to me, unafraid and completely lovable. I could not help the 'awwws' that escaped from my mouth. Actually, I could, when Sasuke glanced at me weirdly. Instead of flushing and stammering and getting nervous (actually, I did all of the above), I insisted that Sasuke hold the kitten. He refused with a simple "no," but I was persistent, telling him he had to make sure that it was perfect for Sarah. Only then did he reluctantly agree.

Almost awkwardly, he took the kitten from my extended arms and straight away, she went into cuddling him like she did me. Which basically sealed the deal. I 'awwwww'ed again, and instead of a weird look, I received a glare, and he shoved the cat back into my arms, and then shoved his hands in his pockets. He glared again when I giggled at his reaction.

Another twenty minutes later and Sasuke and I were in his car, about $1000 worth of cat related things stuffed into the back seat. I sat in the passenger's seat with the cute kitten in a small carrier on my lap, unbelievably happy at how the evening was going, how enjoyable it was despite some of the moodier moments. I could not help the smile from beaming across my face, especially when I was playing around with the kitten and she was doing the most adorable things.

It was at a stop light when Sasuke first kissed me.

I wasn't expecting it. I was so uncontrollably happy and caught up in the kitten and taking pride in knowing that Sasuke called on me when he need help that I didn't know that I was staring at him. He turned to meet my gaze, and I realized my smile was still glued to my face.

I wonder what look I must have been giving him, what facial expression I had on, that caused him to lean towards me.

I was frozen, unsure of what he was doing. At the time, all I could think was "Is he _actually_ going to kiss me?"

And when it happened I was so unprepared. I'm pretty sure I stayed motionless, afraid that if I did anything, he would stop. So I was absolutely still, eyes closed, when he pressed his lips to mine. It wasn't his usual I'm so hot and talented with my mouth, it was a simple, light pressure, closed mouth connection. Only a few seconds had passed when he pulled away slightly, our faces only an inch apart. And even before I thought it was over, he leaned in for the second time and gave my bottom lip a small nip before I felt the car moving again. My eyes fluttered open and I saw Sasuke driving like nothing had happened at all. But I'm pretty sure that my face exploded it was so red.

I stiffly turned my head to stare out the front window, my cheeks on fire, absolutely shocked at what just happened. My chest was heaving, even though the kiss lasted like 4 seconds.

And then there was silence, except for the occasional sounds of the kitten moving around in her carrier.

My eyes flickered to the time on the car's dashboard, remembering my earlier commitment. It was 5:15.

Here's a question: Have you ever had to order pizza when you have just been kissed by an extremely delicious should-be male model?

Well, it's hard. I'll tell you that.

First you kind of have to awkwardly explain _why_ you're ordering pizza, and then dial the number and talk to a stranger about food when your throat is all clenched up out of nervousness and your face is beat read out of embarrassment and you can hardly think because your mind is racing.

So yeah, it's hard.

But I did manage to put in a bit after I called, being all 'I would've called at home but _someone_ had to drag me to the mall and now I barely have time to go to the convenient store to get some junk food before the game on TV starts.' Except it wasn't in as many words. And it wasn't as bold. Or all that understandable.

But I think Sasuke got the picture. His eyebrows raised in what was maybe acknowledgement, then his hand went to the gear shift.

And suddenly he switched lanes, the whole car swerving so we managed to turn right just before the next intersection. I clutched the cat carrier afraid that it would fly from my hands in Sasuke's new momentum. I turned to look at him, he had a small etch between his eyebrows, like he was concentrating on, I don't know, kidnapping me? A _whoosh_, and he was James Bond, I was his Bond girl, and we were heading in the exact opposite direction of my house. Or at least, I wish that's what was happening.

Instead, the one piece that made this whole situation logical appeared in front of us as Sasuke zoomed towards it. As opposed to my fantasies, the convenient store parking lot was definitely not at all a James Bond hostage sight. But I did need to go there before I went home.

Sasuke glanced at me when he parked, and gave me a triumphant smirk, that really wasn't all that triumphant or smirkish but it was close enough to one that for Sasuke, it _was_ one. And I know Sasuke – he didn't do this out of kindness or anything, nor to repay the two favors that I did for him; it was to show me that he _could_ get me home in time, that I was wrong for even saying I barely have any time, that he can do anything.

So simultaneously happy that he was doing me this one favor and inwardly groaning at his male pride, I said a weak 'Um, thanks,' passed the carrier to him so I was free to move, and got out of the car. Just before entering the store I glanced over my shoulder, making sure he wouldn't just disappear, but the Maserati was parked where I left it.

I didn't get as much junk food as I usually would for these events, but I was getting back in Sasuke's car which is already filled with cat supplies, and I didn't want to look like a pig. So grabbing some chips, pop, and candy and shoving them all into one bag, I paid the cashier and went back to Sasuke.

He was blankly staring at the cat carrier on his lap as I got into the car. When he passed the carrier back to me I could tell the kitten was getting fussy for being kept in a small place for so long. Maybe that's what caught Sasuke's attention.

Anyways, the Maserati was rolling towards my house within a couple of minutes. With the cat carrier on my lap I couldn't really get my things together, so I had to wait until he parked outside of my house to gently set the carrier in the space where my legs at once been before grabbing my purse and the bag of junk food.

I didn't really know how to say good bye or thanks for driving me to the convenient store, as things were still pretty awkward ever since he kissed me at that stop light. I settled for a quick 'thanks' or 'hope Sarah likes her cat' as that would probably be the only thing I could say without stammering and stumbling over my words.

However I was wrong. Standing by the open door I ducked my head back into the car, opened my mouth, and said nothing. Nothing came out of my mouth. I probably looked like an idiot.

But it wasn't my fault.

He was already staring at me when I looked at him. And it wasn't just any stare either.

This one was notably, incredibly sexy. So sexy that I reevaluated my 'thanks' and just thought: 'What the hell.'

His seatbelt was off and his arm was already reaching for the back of my head when I re-entered the car, closed the door behind me, and kissed him. It didn't even bother me that he was expecting it either.

For the first time, I had the upper hand in this kiss. Scrambling over to his side of the car left me kneeling and a few inches taller than he was. Although it still really didn't matter how tall I was, Sasuke took complete charge anyway.

The kiss he responded with made my insides melt. Everywhere he touched left a tingling sensation, every time his mouth moved against mine frenzied the butterflies in my stomach. It was only a matter of time before a soft moan escaped my lips.

The sound of my voice seemed to awaken something within Sasuke. His movements became rougher, his actions more urgent. His hand dragged down my side and curved around to my thigh, where with one movement he hoisted my body so I was exactly overtop of him, a knee on either side. Now nothing stopped his hands from roaming. They slithered down to my legs, around my thighs, back up to my waist, and too close to my chest, sending a wrack of shivers down my spine; all the while his mouth never strayed too far from mine. His fingers lingered over the imprint of by bra on the back of my shirt, and a brief thought flittered into my awareness: did he think I was wearing my new bra? You know, the Victoria's Secret one? Sasuke's hands started to edge around to my front, following the imprint, and then they dropped down, under the hem of my shirt and started crawling upwards.

That was when I knew it had to stop. I mean, although it made me feel all tingly and gave me goose bumps, he was _not_ finding out what type of bra I was wearing. Or at least, not anytime soon. It was going way too far, way too fast for my liking. Especially when Karin and the whole bet popped into my head, supporting my crazy decision to tilt my chin away from him and untangle my hands from his shirt and hair.

Sasuke's mouth, losing accessibility to mine, moved to my chin down to my neck and to my collar bone, leaving a scorching trail behind it. Only then did he finally stop, his eyes flickering to my face, most likely annoyed and demanding.

But I couldn't look at him. While I only felt a tinge of guilt for cheating with him behind Karin's back, my embarrassment made up for it. How could I be so bold? I was never _that_ confident when it comes to anything, let alone macking Sasuke. So I sighed, my moment of being a Bond girl fading by the second as I thought of something, _anything_ to say as some sort of goodbye.

All that came out was a breathy, "I hope Sarah likes her cat." I could sense more than see his eyebrows raise at the comment.

Stupid, stupid, _stupid_. That's all I could hear in my head besides my own drumming heart beat as I fumbled to get out of the car through Sasuke's door. I mean, couldn't I say something sexy, or mysterious? All I could talk about was his sister and a cat?

What a major turn off.

I stumbled when I stood up outside the car. I practically ran over to the other side where my purse and junk food were waiting and leaned against the car momentarily, my hand pressed against the window, holding my weight. I was suddenly dizzy. I must have stood up too fast. Or maybe it was the kiss? Or maybe it was because I could feel Sasuke's smoldering eyes following my every move, even as I ran up to the front door of my house?

After knocking on the door I tried to make myself look presentable and act calm, as I know my dad was home for his car was in the driveway. The moment he opened the door his eyes looked past me.

"Whose the guy with the nice car?"

I spluttered, unsure of what to say, and then I blurted out, "You were watching me?" Oh my god. What if he saw me making out with Sasuke? What would he think? What would he _do_?

"No, he's still parked in front of my house." My dad answered, his eyes still on the Maserati. I could hear a faint possessiveness on the 'my' of his sentence, the protective dad was showing through just a little.

I blew a sigh of relief and turned around to see Sasuke standing by the passenger side of the car, wiping something off of the window. Most likely my hand prints.

I huffed, multiple versions synonymous to 'obsessive compulsive ass' running through my mind as I answered in a relatively normal tone, "Oh, that's Sasuke, Mrs. Carter's adopted son."

My father 'Oh'ed, shrugged, and walked back in the house talking about how the game was almost starting and how he was glad I had the time to pick up some junk food, completely letting everything about why I was in a fancy car with an attractive boy who looked older than his age. I was thankful for the fact that Sasuke's mom was the really nice boss of my dad.

The rest of the evening settled down. My dad and I watched the golf game and ate pizza and junk food as usual; however my mind was on another planet. I couldn't stop shivering at the memory of his lips and hands on my body; I couldn't stop thinking about what just happened in the car, how this would change what Sasuke does at school, how this would affect the bet between him and Naruto.

And suddenly, at the thought of the bet, I practically had a religious experience.

Now I may not know why Sasuke seems to change moods so frequently, or why I hardly feel guilty for cheating, or why he has made a point of either constantly flustering me or constantly ignoring me, or why I can't control myself in his presence, or why I can't stop thinking about the kiss we shared in the car…

But I do know one thing: There is no way in hell Sasuke is going to win that bet.


	19. Chapter 19

A/N

WHOA.

Some of you guys have way too much pent up anger or something cuz some of the reviews I got on that author's note were pretty mean and unnecessary.

For those who I apparently offended sorry but you didn't give me the **benefit of the doubt**, I think some of you read it as if I was demanding and being all bitchy but that wasn't the case at all, I was just asking if I could get some feedback, so you didn't have to retaliate so brutally.

I just want to make it clear that **I wasn't mad about the 'update now!'** all I meant was it was 'troublesome' when those were all I got and none of it was feedback.

Thanks for all of the reviews; ESPECIALLY the ones who didn't flame and stuff – really its what kept me writing the next chapter.

I TOTALLY wasn't expecting that big of an outcome to the author's note, like seriously, some of you guys are so nice and everything, the author's note was just asking for a little, and you guys gave a LOT! Thanks SO much!

I tried to respond to as many as I could if there was an email or if they had an account but if I missed you I'm sorry, I tried.

For those who wrote flame-ish material, **please don't write it anonymously** next time because then there is no way I can contact you guys and break that miscommunication that apparently happened there, or give my side of the story.

Anyways, here's the chapter! Hold on tight because the mood of this one is a lot different from the other chapters!

**Chapter 19**

Sasuke's POV

The phrase 'What the _hell_?' became so repetitive in Sasuke's mind that it was, for the time being, virtually meaningless.

As he drove around mindlessly in his car, it would occur in between thoughts, interrupting some and concluding others – but no matter how many times he said it, he still couldn't figure it out.

He _still_ didn't know why he turned to look at her at that stoplight, and why he couldn't take his eyes off of her as she teased the kitten through the bars of the cat carrier. Why he was suddenly leaning in, and why he just had to kiss her. Or why nipping her lip at the end felt… necessary.

However, the next events that came to pass in the car were easier to answer. The convenient store detour, well, _she_ brought that one about. It was her fault for undermining his driving capabilities; he just had to prove her wrong. And that second kiss… the one in front of her house…

Well first, what was up with _that_? She practically pounced on him. Not that he minded… but _he_ wasn't in control. He didn't start it, nor did he end it. He had followed her lead for the most part, although he liked to think that during the actual _kissing_ part, he was completely dominant. Still, it wasn't the nervous, rambling teenager that was sitting in the car with him just minutes before. Don't get him wrong, he _liked_ this Sakura, perhaps even too much, and _bloody hell_ did he enjoy that kiss. It was just that his mind, which is used to being in control of _everything_, was not responding at all during those few moments. It was almost instinct that guided his hands around her. It wasn't reason that had him pressing their bodies together. It wasn't logic that decided to guess if she was wearing her _second skin satin_. And it definitely wasn't rationale that kept his lips on her at all times.

So, perhaps, the answer was that he was thinking of _nothing_.

With that answer in mind, Sasuke found his facial expression switching from smirk to passive stare, over and over; half of him thinking back to their rather hot make out session, the other half scolding him for liking it.

Which is not good (no matter how _good_ it felt) – because he's in the middle of a bet. With Naruto. He _can't_ lose. He _will not_ lose. But, wasn't what he just did with Sakura....

No. He didn't lose. If no one _knows_ about it, then he _can't_ lose, right?

Right.

So tomorrow…

1. Make sure that Sakura doesn't blow their cover.

2. Try not to end up making out with her again.

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Sakura's POV

I woke up the next morning, my mind set on telling Naruto about Sasuke and me.

Originally, I was going to keep the whole thing on the down-low. I thought that maybe if I didn't tell anyone than it would be our little secret, and it sounded enticing.

But the night before, my thoughts on the situation that had just happened in Sasuke's car started to ferment in my mind; they started to turn from sweet, to sour.

I mean, how _could_ he do that to me? He can't just blow me off for my enemy, ask me to do all these favors for him, and then totally come on to me in his own car – knowingly cheating on his girlfriend. He can't just do whatever he wants, ignorant to everyone else, especially to me and my feelings. He's being a total jerk.

So if I told Naruto – not everything of course, just maybe that Sasuke tried to make a move on me – and have Sasuke put in his place, well then maybe he wouldn't be such an asshole.

Excuse the harsh words, it's just that all this time I've been going out of my way just to please him, when it should be the other way around.

Well, not really, but I have to get some of my spunk back, yeah?

So I took a little longer than usual to get ready this morning. Did my hair a little differently, put a little more makeup on than just the essentials, picked out a form fitting top and some jeans that I knew made my butt look good.

Sure it's a little suggestive for me but I wanted to go into that school and show _him_ that _I _am a force to be reckoned with.

As I walked into the school, I wondered if this is what Puriti always felt like – with the door opening exactly when a gust of wind flies by, blowing your hair in the perfect movie-style way, almost everyone's heads turning to look at you just as you take off your sunglasses and saunter in knowing that you look fantastic.

Oh yeah. I am Sakura. Hear me roar.

…Or something like that…

"Hey Naruto," I greeted him confidently at his locker. He turned to look at me but somehow his eyes never reached my face. As I look back on it, I realized why his 'Hi' came out as a dragged out 'Hey…"

If I picture the scene in my mind I can see his eyes, slowly dragging _up_ to my face. Evidence of the form fitting top – I guess it worked a little _too_ well.

Maybe that means Sasuke will like it.

Speaking of which…

"So about that bet you guys made on Friday," I started, my heart suddenly beating faster as I felt nervousness creeping upon me.

"Oh yeah, I'm still really sorry about that." Naruto rubbed the back of his head.

My heart beat even faster. Was it really nervousness creeping upon me? Or…

Was it Sasuke's shadow?

Time seemed to slow as the brunette walked by and we made eye contact. His gaze was challenging, and I choked on the words I was about to say.

And when Sasuke nodded to Naruto, time resumed its normal pace.

And I chickened out.

"Yeah…" I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts, and then looked at Naruto's expecting expression. "I bet you five dollars he won't last." I blurted; my attempt to bring on the downfall of the all mighty Uchiha failing. Or at least getting postponed.

Naruto laughed, unaware of my internal battle. "Why would you be making a bet with me? _I _was the one who said he wouldn't be able to last in the first place."

"Oh, right. That was stupid." I mentally hit myself on the forehead. No – wait, I did that in reality too.

"Ha, at least I know you're on my side."

"Uh, yeah," I replied lamely. Stupid, stupid, _stupid_.

Why did I freak out? Why didn't I tell him? Why did Sasuke have to look so damn hot?

"Um… I got to get my stuff from my locker," I said, and ran off, angry at myself.

"Hey Sak!" I heard Naruto call after me. I turned around to see him still at his locker.

"Nice jeans." He continued, and I flushed, knowing that not only his eyes would be on my backside now that he yelled it to the whole world.

Oh well, at least I knew I looked good.

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I had to keep reminding myself that I was still mad at Sasuke no matter how many times I peeked at him across the art room in class. I had to keep saying to myself (not out loud, of course), that he is a jerk, and he is a player, and he does _not_ under any circumstances, have the right to cheat on his girlfriend with me, and then take full control of my social freedom.

I had to keep on telling myself, as I forced all those Sasuke related images and play-backs from my mind, that I _didn't_ want to just walk over there and kiss him as he leaned back against the counter doing something on his cell phone, and that I _didn't_ want him to glance up at me with those dark eyes, and I _didn't_ want to even be staring at him as long as I was. And I had to keep telling myself '_look away, look away,' _as he pocketed his cell phone and flickered is eyes up to quickly scan the classroom.

The last one was a lost cause (well, so were all the others); my eyes were glued to his face when we made eye contact. I tried to gauge his expression, which wasn't much different from his usual impassiveness; all I could conclude was that he wasn't _angry_, seeing as I didn't _do_ anything yet. However, there was some sort of look in his eyes (besides complete hotness) that made the '_Caution! Warning! Danger!'_ signs pop into my head.

I closed my eyes and looked away. I wasn't sure how to deal with him now. I mean, I couldn't tell what he was thinking: if he knew I was going to tell Naruto, if he knew that I still really wanted to kiss him; if he still really wanted to kiss me.

I focused on what Hinata was doing beside me, trying to find a distraction in anything that _wasn't_ about Sasuke.

She was working in her sketchbook, the cover of it tilted towards her as if she what she was doing was a secret. It probably _was,_ considering how engrossed she looked while drawing.

I leaned over, just to get a peek at it.

Attached to the page with a paperclip, on the top right corner, was a picture of Naruto. Just his shoulders and up could be seen, although his hand was raised to the back of his neck, his expression slightly guilty. The majority of the page beneath was filled with what was practically a replica of the picture above, however there were slight differences. Not in the way he looked, as you would know that it was Naruto at first glance – it was just the _way_ she drew him. The expression in the strokes of her pencil, small, light, and wispy, really reflected Hinata's drawing style, and somehow, the way she felt about him.

It was weird; looking at her drawing almost gave me insight to how she saw and perceived him, which was such a stretch to what he shows on the outside – the blonde, mostly idiotic class clown. It made me wonder then, how differently other people perceived me.

How Sasuke perceived me…

"Wow, that's really good, Hinata," I said quietly, hoping that I wouldn't startle her.

But I did.

"S-S-Sakura!" She quickly closed the sketchbook, and started a combination of stuttering, squeaking, and turning absolutely red.

"Oh come on, _Hina_," I said, lightly teasing her by using Naruto's nick name. "It's just a drawing. But seriously, it's really good."

"Th-th-thank you." She replied, seeming like she was still coming out of a state of shock.

"Are you going to show it to him?" I asked, and she looked surprised.

"N-no!"

"Aw, why not?"

"It's… It's embarrassing," she replied, flushing again and looking at her closed sketchbook.

"I think he'd really like it." I told her, confidence in my voice to convince her.

"I-I don't know…"

"I really think you should. I mean, I don't think anyone's done that for him before – or at least, one that good. They've all been for _that_ guy over there." I pointed my thumb at Sasuke, and out of my peripheral vision, saw him catch my gesture.

I pretended not to care (ch, yeah right).

"W-well, m-maybe…" Hinata answered, blushing again since I brought Sasuke's attention to us as well.

"Do it, I promise he'll love it, okay?"

"Okay…"

"Good." And as I looked back to Sasuke, who was idly watching us, I thought back to Hinata's picture.

I wonder how Sasuke sees _me_?

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Sasuke's POV

_What the hell?_

There was that same stupid phrase again. But he couldn't help it as it crawled into his mind every time he glanced her way.

Was… Is she _talking_ about him?

And why was she pointing? If she was _telling_ that girl…

No. No she wasn't. Her face would be red and she would be flustered.

She made eye contact.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. She _better_ not be telling her.

No, now he _knew _she wasn't. The flush that started at her neck and grew to her cheeks proved so – they had made eye contact, and now she can't even look at him. Her eyes are everywhere _but_ him. It wasn't a mere coincidence.

Sasuke denied the fact that he was going to smirk – why would he? Sure he made out with her the day before, sure he may have lost control, and sure, he may have liked it way more than he was supposed to – but that doesn't give him any reason to smirk. Because it's not that he _liked_ watching her all frazzled. And he definitely didn't like the fact that _he_ was the one making her all frazzled.

He was just making sure that Sakura wasn't telling anyone.

And he was just proving a point to Naruto.

That's all it was. He was proving that he could do whatever the idiot wanted to do, _and_ break all the boundaries all the same, without getting caught.

_And_ he could do all that with Sakura – Naruto's ex-girlfriend. He could picture the blonde's face, finding out a year or so from now that his bet didn't work; as they always _never_ work. It would make him angry that he was using his former ex, now friend, for purposes of the idiot's own destruction.

So that's all it was. He was proving something. He was using her. And he was –

_No. Hell no._

He was _not_ finding it a little hard to breathe when Sakura bent down to her purse; because his breath did _not_ catch at the glimpse down her shirt (well, it _was_ low cut to begin with).

And no… he most definitely… was _not_…

Staring…

He snapped his eyes away, and shoved his hand into his pocket, finding his cell phone. He pulled it out and started typing a text message.

_Meet_

This was the third time he started this message.

_Me_

And it's obvious who it was for.

_In_

Not that it had anything to do with what happened the day before.

_The_

Nor the fact that the clothes she was wearing today were abnormally… _tight_.

_Chemistry__ Lab_.

No. It _definitely _wasn't because of _any_ of those reasons.

_Now_.

His thumb hovered over the send button. Why was he sending this again? To see her alone, right? The chemistry lab was hardly ever occupied, as it was only used when doing experiments. It would be empty. So it would jus be them, with no one else to see. But why did he want to do that?

And what would he even do once they met there? Warn her not to tell anyone? Just randomly start making out (like he cough_really_cough wanted to)?

No, she would start asking questions – Heck, she would start _rambling_ questions. And then he'd have to shut her up, but today…

Today Sakura seemed different. Today it seemed that she wouldn't take any of his games.

Sasuke snapped his cell phone shut and shoved it back into his pocket without sending the message. His eyes flickered back up to her again.

Maybe it was just the top she was wearing. Or maybe it was the gleam in her eye as she looked up at Sasuke again.

It was just, you know, a feeling he had…

And he was right.

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Sakura's POV

I spent my whole English class prepping myself for my big debut at lunch. I was sure, that then and there, I would tell Naruto about the bet. I would tell him _just_ as the smokers came in from their little cancer session (which includes Sasuke). That way it would take _him_ off guard, there would be _no _way that he could stop me speaking words of truth. And Sasuke doesn't sit beside me anymore (now that he's with stupid _Karin_), so really, there is no way.

Except for when he came back inside after smoking and sat right beside me _and_ Karin, where he was in the middle and totally _way_ to close for me to find any confidence with ease.

Actually, I barely found any confidence at all.

So when I started to speak to Naruto, like I had planned, only part of my sentence came out.

This was for two reasons.

With him so close, I could barely concentrate. Regardless of the remaining smell of smoke still coming off of him, I could smell his cologne, and his after shave, and his all around Sasuke-ness. And it made me dizzy (in a good way).

But the second reason, which surprised the hell out of me, was when I spoke the word 'bet', Sasuke's hand shot out to my leg. He grabbed my thigh, near my knee, where no one could see. And he held it there, relatively hard.

Like, if I were to get all sensitive, I would say it actually kind of hurt.

So it was a warning.

He was telling me to shut up. Or else.

And for a moment I paused and thought, really, _or_ _else?_ What could he do if I spoke? What dirt does he have on me? Really, it's only his word against mine.

But then again…

How mad would he be? How long would it be before he ever spoke to me again if I told everyone about our hook up? I mean, would he even hook up with me ever again? Would I be totally ruining everything?

Oh god, I was chickening out _again_.

"Never mind." I blurted when I couldn't finish my original sentence. But even after I spoke, Sasuke's hand still stayed on my leg, unmoving.

And then he released the pressure a little, but still didn't remove it.

I flickered my eyes to him and then away. He was staring straight ahead, paying attention to a new conversation that had started. I was oblivious to all of it – because his hand started to move; first in the direction of my knee, where upon reaching the joint, his palm released its contact, only leaving the tips of his fingers touching. And from there, they started moving upward, leaving a tingling trail that made me shiver all over.

By this time, my face was probably in flames. And people started to notice.

Tenten, across from me, was the first to speak up. "Sakura, are you feeling alright?"

She said it quietly but still it caught many people's attention. I could feel another wave of heat pass over my cheeks as I realized she had just drawn even more attention to me, _and_ Sasuke still hadn't removed his hand.

"I… I think I may be coming down with something," I lied, and started to fan myself with my hand, only partly acting. "I think I just need some fresh air."

And with that, I stood up hastily, Sasuke's hand moving away just in time. I walked out of the cafeteria, the heat flushing my cheeks turning from embarrassment to anger. And quickly.

I mean, _Come On!_

Why did I stop again!? Why did he freaking _do_ that!? Why the hell won't he just _let me be_!?

Flipping out my cell phone I pulled up Sasuke's number from my contact list and pressed 'dial.'

Because I want answers. And I want them _now_.

As the phone rang I peeked into the caf, seeing Sasuke pull out his own ringing cell phone. I could see him acting casual, although he knew it was my number (Caller ID) when he answered. "Hello?"

"Get your butt out here _now_." I ground out, and I could see his lips twitch. Probably at the fact that I said 'butt' and not 'ass' or something cool. I suddenly felt like a loser.

Over the noise of the cafeteria I heard him say, "I have to take this call," and he made his way towards the door, towards me.

Sasuke didn't even stop when he finally got out of the cafeteria. Instead, he glanced at me and then kept on walking down the hall.

Wait, _what_?

Is he ignoring me now? Or is he leading me somewhere?

The latter was proven right when his body turned, and there – that familiar gesture that he did just a week ago – told me to follow him. It was that nod of his head as he turned back around that not only made butterflies rush to my stomach, but made my feet move to follow him unconsciously.

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I approached the door that he entered – The chemistry lab. Waiting a couple of seconds outside of the room I tried to pull myself together. The room was empty – it was almost always empty – so we would be alone. I would be _confronting_ Sasuke.

Alone.

Nervous was an understatement of how I felt.

Taking a couple of deep breaths I put my hand on the doorknob and tried to think of something to say to him when I got inside.

But I couldn't think of anything.

The fact that we were going to be _alone_ and that I was _confronting_ him kept running through my mind leaving no space for anything else. I mean, was I _crazy_ or something? No one confronts Sasuke Uchiha (unless you're Naruto… or you're looking for a fight).

But I had to go in, because he was waiting. And I couldn't take too long; he'll wonder what happened to me. He'll think I chickened out, _again_.

However, it was that thought that made me swing the door open and step inside without hesitation – I was _not_ chickening out for the third time in a row.

He was leaning against a desk in line with the doorway and halfway across the room. I was suddenly aware of how boisterously I opened the door and now embarrassed, turned to ease it shut quietly before it slammed.

When I turned back, leaning against the door, he was staring straight at me, and for a while it was silent, both of us waiting for the other to speak.

"Sakura," he finally said, saying my name in that low voice that makes me shiver.

"Sasuke," I addressed him equally, however it wasn't nearly as sexy as he said mine. Actually, it was more blurted out in that 'I didn't know what else to say but didn't want to back down' kind of way. My hands were fisted at my side in nervousness and tension, although I hoped he would think it was in anger.

Again, it was silent, for a longer stretch than it was a couple of seconds ago – I didn't know what to say, and Sasuke… well, he was just Sasuke.

Until he finally spoke up.

"…You wanted to talk?" He drawled, and again, I shivered.

My mouth opened and closed a couple of times until finally I uttered out, "You can't just _do_ that," in a much more forceful way than I meant it to be.

He raised his eyebrow, a cue for me to explain. I felt like an idiot.

"You, you can't just make out with me," I finished, flushing at the thought. I paused, and then continued once I realized that what I said was not fully what I meant. "...And then pretend like nothing happened."

Still, it wasn't what I meant, and I was met with blank stare. So I kept on going.

"And you're in a bet! Doesn't that mean anything? I mean, you lost, you made out with me, _in your own car_," Again I flushed, "so I have every right to tell everyone. You can't just lose and then force me to stay silent!" I was practically yelling now, my hands fluttering around, unnecessarily emphasizing my little speech. I was having trouble wording my thoughts and I guess my hands were trying to make up for it.

However, nothing changed with Sasuke; the blank stare remained, well, blank. I felt like I was just digging myself in a hole every time I opened my mouth – anything that tumbled out seemed to receive no response from Sasuke. None whatsoever.

And for some reason though, this kept my mind whirling, my mouth moving. I was on the verge of rambling.

"I mean, _why_ would you even _do _that? Why did you make out with me? Why won't you let me tell anyone? Why did you even ask me to help you at the mall? Why did you even ask me over to that funeral thing?"

Okay, now I was rambling, and I realized this once Sasuke pushed off of the desk and slowly made his way towards me, his eyes focused on mine. I continued to blurt out every '_Why' _question that came to mind, talking faster and faster as Sasuke approached me, until finally his body closed in on mine; arms on either side of me, hands against the door, and me, shrinking away from his intensity. My words died instantly.

And then he lowered his head slowly, his nose brushing my neck.

"Sakura," he said, breath warm as his lips now brushed my skin. "…What if I _wanted_ to?"

Even if I _wanted_ to reply to that (which I didn't), I couldn't seem to make a single sound.

And from there, he started to place kisses along the side of my neck, starting from where he whispered, all the way down to my collar bone. My chin subconsciously tilted upwards, but other than that (and my deep breaths and fluttering eyelashes) I stayed motionless. He started trailing his kisses upwards, to behind my ear, when I shivered visibly.

"Hmm…" Was Sasuke's reply, apparently taking pleasure in my reaction, his lips still pressed against my skin.

Immediately after, I shuddered and unconsciously sighed, 'Oh God.'

As he moved even closer to me, so our bodies were just barely touching, I felt his smirk against my skin, almost instantly after my response. I snapped back to reality, realizing now that he was just toying with me. _Again_.

"No no no - you're _not_ supposed to be _doing_ that!" I scolded him, waving his face away and practically scampering to the other side of the classroom, missing the smirk he still held on his face. Now our places were reversed from the beginning: him against the door, me leaning against the desk (catching my breath).

Sasuke raised another eyebrow, playfully, although his face remained relatively stoic.

"_You_," I pointed a finger at him, "are not single! _You _are in a bet! _You_," my voice raised unintentionally, "are dating _Karin_." I hoped he didn't sense the sneer I put behind his 'girlfriend's' name. I also hoped he didn't sense the jealousy and hurt either.

However, he seemed to have noticed, as he took a hand and ran it through his hair. He looked at me, point blank, and once again, said, "Sakura…" Same word, same voice, same freaking sexiness.

He walked towards me, stopping about a foot from where I was against the desk. I met his gaze and was partially surprised when I thought I saw… conflict?

"Sasuke…" I replied nervously, filling the silence (déjà vu?).

He shoved his hands into his pockets. "The bet with Naruto…" he started, I held my breath in anticipation, "…Is only about Naruto."

I was confused. It only had to do with Naruto?

"I…" My brows furrowed, trying to understand.

"Karin," He spoke up again, apparently getting that I couldn't read his mind, "was only to make Naruto pissed."

"I…" Apparently words aren't forming so well for me. Maybe it has to do with the fact that this is the most I've probably ever heard Sasuke speak. To me, no less.

"Do you think I'd walk right into that?" He said, the question present, regardless of his emotionless voice.

"No…" I answered, only half understanding, "I just…"

"Do you think I'm an idiot?" He continued, still dead pan, slightly offended.

"No! I just, I'm trying to understand-" I stopped at his smirk. He was toying with me _again_.

"…I guess anyone could have seen it coming." I finally mumbled, blushing and embarrassed.

His smirk remained, and it was silent for a while. Which I guess was good, because it was revelation time.

…So Sasuke only picked Karin because he _knew_ that Naruto wanted him to pick _me_. Does that mean he actually _wanted_ me? Or was it just for the sake of the bet? Then why did he pick _Karin_ – who's practically my mortal enemy. Was it to make me angry? To make me jealous?

I thought back to him making out with me. And then to him making out with her.

I frowned.

"But…" I started, "You…"

He cut me off. "Take it or leave it, Sakura."

Take it or leave it…

Either walk out now, or keep it a secret. Is that what he was saying?

Okay then…

"So…" I pushed off the desk, regaining confidence. Sasuke stayed motionless. "What you're saying is… If you get to keep your 'manly pride'…" I took a step towards him, so I was now looking up to make eye contact, "Then…" I took another step. "I get to keep you?"

He frowned slightly, probably about the 'manly pride' bit.

His mouth opened to retort, "I wouldn't put it that-"

But that was good enough for me.

"Done." I cut him off, and in an instant both my hands were reaching for his head. His hands were barely out of his pockets when I pulled his face towards me and kissed him.

And then I practically pounced on him. No wait, I _actually_ pounced on him.

Sasuke, after stumbling back a bit at my force, wrapped both of his arms around me, and kissed back with the same intensity. Always having to be the dominant one, he pushed back, and soon I was leaning against the top of the desk. And then my back was against the top of the desk.

He was much rougher than any other time we kissed before. I mean, he was _biting_. He was like, claiming his territory or something. I didn't even try to be somewhat in charge, I just went with it. It wasn't like I had a choice; the second I turned my head sideways to breathe, his lips were on my neck, his left hand moved to the small of my back, pressing us together, and I almost died when his right hand moved down to my thigh, and then hitched it up against my side.

The weird thing, through all of this, was that he seemed to know the boundaries. He seemed to know how low he could kiss down my neck, how far his hand could go on my thigh. When he reached under my shirt, it was only to my stomach, and then it withdrew.

But no matter how controlled he was, again, it was rough. When he finally caught my lips again (which seemed like it took forever), I could already feel them bruising. Not that I noticed at the time. Not that I even _cared_…

So that kiss, the one at the stoplight, was simple. The kiss after, in front of my house, was hot. This kiss…

Well this kiss was freaking _steamy_.

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"How are you feeling Sakura?" Tenten asked when I sat back down at my seat in the caf beside Sasuke (to which Karin was clinging to). We had staggered our entrances, so our timing wouldn't seem suspicious.

However, the second I sat down, Sasuke's hand snuck to my leg again.

And again, my face flushed. "Just…I think it's a small fever or something." I lied, trying to focus on unwrapping my lunch in front of me.

"Oh, maybe you should go home then," Tenten replied concerned – and oblivious, as was everyone else, to what was happening underneath the table.

"Uh," I fumbled over my words, a new wave of heat rushing across my cheeks as Sasuke's hand slid higher and higher up my leg, "yeah. Um, maybe I just need to get some more fresh air or something." I jumped up hastily, and for the second time that day, rushed out of the cafeteria.

A moment later, Sasuke's cell phone rang.

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It became a game. How many times, how many places, how many ways, could Sasuke and I kiss without being seen. How I became a contestant in this game is still a bit fuzzy, as it just kind of _happened_, but I learned quickly. Very quickly.

Usually he'll send me a text message: meet me in the chemistry lab/ in the gym/ outside/ in my car/ in the library – whatever place is available and unoccupied.

Sometimes it would just be a nod of the head as he walked by me, a cue for me to follow him to one of the locales mentioned above.

And rarely, it would be so out of the blue, so random, that I wouldn't even have time to react.

Like the time where I dropped my pencil case during Spanish class. I bent down under the table to pick everything up when Sasuke, who was sitting beside me, bent down as well. First I was confused, was Sasuke actually _helping_ me? Because that is very un-Sasuke- like. But then, after all my pencils and pens were put back in the case, he leaned in and kissed me. Under the table. In Spanish class. How random is that? Or dangerous?

Actually, what was even more random than that was the time in biology class, where everyone was doing a lab and we were assigned partners. Sasuke and I were with different people but that didn't stop him from inconspicuously finding his way over to me. I could feel his eyes on me as I made my way to one of the closets to grab our supplies, and I could feel his footsteps behind me after I passed his table. Pretending not to notice, I entered the closet and reached up to one of the shelves for a beaker. I froze, hiding a smile, when I felt his hands on my hips. I then felt his head bend down towards me, and expecting him to maybe kiss my neck or something, I got nervous – wondering if anyone could see us. But Sasuke, instead of doing the expected, leaned towards me, and from behind, nipped my shoulder. He stepped away just in time for Naruto to enter, eyeing us suspiciously. I grabbed my beaker and exited, giving him a smile and avoiding Sasuke's gaze.

Super random, right? I mean, stalking me to just nip me? And my shoulder of all places. I mean, who bites someone's _shoulder _(no matter how sexy it seems)?

The good thing about all of this though, was that I became way more confident, not just in general, but around Sasuke too. He was less mysterious, more approachable. Not only could I just _talk _to him now, in public or alone, as talking isn't too suspicious, but when we _were_ alone I wouldn't be afraid to kiss him back. I wasn't as nervous about his silence or his moodiness or his over bearing need to be _totally_ dominant _all_ the time. And it kind of got even better when Sasuke noticed this.

It was partially surprising when he decided to act on his realization, in that it was a sort of new side of Sasuke I hadn't really seen. Well, I've seen him flustering me, but not like this. I had followed him to the chemistry lab, getting excited as I usually did when he wanted us to meet (take note of that: when _He_ _wanted_ us to meet). When I entered he was waiting by the door, and our bodies met at practically the same time. But instead of going straight to kissing me on the lips, he started at my neck and worked his way up to my cheek. Back down he went until he reached my neck again, then to my collar bone. And then, for the second time, up to my face. But he never touched my lips with his.

Even when we moved to one of the desks, where I found myself in a familiar position (my back on the table, him leaning down towards me), he _still_ didn't touch my lips. Instead, his hands were everywhere, his touch, light and curious. He traced almost every part of my body with his hands (well, minus the parts where certain boundaries were placed), and still I hadn't gotten the chance to actually _kiss_ him – he wouldn't let me.

And then, the surprising part. When his hands reached my sides, his touch turned extra light, extra gentle. It sent shivers down my spine and made me smile and… wait…

Was he tickling me? Was Sasuke _actually_ tickling me? This isn't like, his evil twin or something, is it?

I started to giggle and squirmed away from his touch, but he was persistent. However, he never stayed in one area long enough to make me fully laugh. He'd start in one place, and then move to a non-ticklish one where his touch would seem more make-out related, but then he'd be back. It was almost embarrassing, especially the fact that he seemed amused by it.

I finally had to sit up to prevent him from continuing, telling him to 'stop' in a partial giggle. I took his hands off of my sides as he stared at me, looking right into my eyes. My smile disappeared when I knew what was coming next.

Sasuke leaned in, and this time he finally kissed me. But it was so deep, and so sensual that it actually _was_ embarrassing. I mean, his hands went to embarrassing places, he even murmured embarrassing things. And at the end of our little session in the chemistry lab, I left the room with my face beat red, my body still trembling, and a hickey that I had to cover up in the washroom right away.

I learned a very good lesson that day: _Never_ get too confident around Sasuke Uchiha (or maybe… do it more often).

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Now even though we seemed to be hooking up _a lot_; it only ever happened at school. It was never at any other time.

For that week, I never saw him outside of school, unless it was across the parking lot at the end of the day or something. But what really made me wonder was whether I was just another one of his hook-ups (even though, as I said earlier, we hook up _a lot_).

I mean, I wonder what would happen if I tried to do anything with him outside of school. Would he even want to? Or is he just playing it safe for the bet – I mean, it would be suspicious if he was seen with me and not Karin somewhere else.

Oh well, I have him for now, so I guess I really shouldn't take that for granted or anything. I mean it's only been a week since this bet started. There is still a lot that could happen. And even if it only _has_ been a week, I can probably say that it has been the best week of my life.

Come on, _I've_ been making out with Sasuke Uchiha all week long.

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Sasuke's POV

All week long Sasuke had been having dreams about Sakura Haruno. And these aren't just any regular dreams. Some of these were like hard core, XXX, must be 18 years or older, $%!* &*#!%, viewer discretion is advised, rated R type of dreams. Dreams that would have him wake up in the middle of the night, sweating, needing to hop up onto the roof hoping there was a cold breeze.

And some were so personal that he'd almost be disturbed. I mean, who dreams about their wedding's dress rehearsal with the girl he's secretly been cheating with?

It wasn't normal. Yes, dreams are supposed to be your subconscious telling you things or preparing you for future situations, but did he _really_ need to be having dreams his wedding?

Did he really want Sakura Haruno _that badly?_

He's just a fucking teenager for Christ's sake. He's not supposed to be having dreams like that.

Well, he's also not supposed to be thinking about _her_ so much either. Maybe it was some sort of inner, subconscious-meets-conscious compromise.

Whatever.

Who cares about dreams anyways? They're just random thoughts muddled into some crazy storyline that his brain made up while he was sleeping. They're nothing at all…

…

…

Maybe he should stop smoking up so much…

Or rather, stop making out with Sakura so much…

…

…

…

Nah.

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Sakura's POV

Life was good.

School has been relatively easy, my parents haven't been fighting as much lately, Sam is actually _eating_ things (even if it _is_ more paper from magazines and bugs that got trapped in the house than his actual cat food), I've been having some sort of affair that you only read about in books, _and_ it's with the hottest guy _ever_.

And now it's the weekend, a time to revel in the amazing (and steamy) events of the week, to relax, to rent and watch movies, to go shopping (and buy more of those tops Sasuke actually said he liked… probably because it was a tank top with a v-neck and a loose hem… and so what if he only murmured it to fluster me while we were making out and his hand was half way – he remembered the boundaries – up my shirt…), a time to make giant breakfasts of waffles or pancakes, to stay up late at sleepovers with either Hinata and/or Ino, a time to spend a gazillion hours on Facebook and even more at Starbucks, a time to check my email and a-

Wait a sec.

Let's rewind and look at the Facebook message I just got.

_Hey guys, what's up?_

_So I know we haven't seen each other since FOREVER, as some of us chose to go to different schools, so I was thinking we should have a reunion soon! The last one we had was in grade 9 – which seems sooooooo long ago – at the X's and O's bar and grill, and we didn't even see some of you there! So I was thinking we should have one this weekend, same time, same place – what do you guys think?_

_Hope you can come! And RSVP so I can make reservations!_

_Your former middle school president,_

_Grace Younge_

_p.s maybe we can go partying after? Anyone want to offer up their house?_

Our last reunion was three years ago on a Saturday, 6:00 pm. I remember because I sat there contemplating whether or not I should go, as it _was_ only a couple of months after Moji and I broke up and my old friends (and Moji's) were all mad and feeling betrayed because of the break up and the fact that I was going to a different school and not to the private one like we all had promised way back when.

But you know, I think I will go to this one. I mean, it's been three years since all of the immature drama, almost everyone already RSVP'd, it would be kind of nice to see all my old friends, Ino would even be there with me, and_ I_ could read the subliminal 'Sakura was a no show last time' between the lines saying that I better be there or else. I mean, it was pretty obvious with the whole '_some of us chose to go to different schools' _and the '_we didn't even see some of you there' _lines.

Plus, I was in a really good mood; I mean making out with Sasuke Uchiha kind of does that to a girl, so the decision was easy to make.

I just hope things aren't going to be awkward…

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Sasuke's POV

It was Saturday, and Sasuke was sitting at a window seat across the table at an expensive restaurant, trying to civilly answer annoying questions and ignore the creeping foot that rubbed up and down his leg – both from the redhead across from him.

_One week_, he told himself, repeating it over and over in his head. One week until the bet ended, and then he'd be free again.

He turned his head to look out the window to avoid acknowledging the forkful of spaghetti Karin offered while batting her eyelashes.

He sighed; bored with taking her out on dates almost every other night, not that he liked it in the first place. It was just that, _fuck_, she used to be normal. He used to be almost _friends_ with her. They used to hang out, along with a couple others as well.

And yes, even when she was normal she used to have a crush on him. He knew that, and knew that maybe choosing her for his "girlfriend" may not have been the best idea, but _God_, he didn't know she'd be so _serious_ about it. He was hoping that maybe it wouldn't be so awkward, so annoying, such a labor, to have to spend time with her.

Still looking out the window, he tried to focus on anything out there that was less tiresome than the girl in front of him.

How about the girl walking on the other side of the street, the one in a relatively short skirt, the one with recognizable pink hair and familiar green eyes, talking with a huge group of people, both girls and boys, as they stopped at an ice cream stand?

The one who was talking animatedly to half of the people, obviously the center of attention: the popular one. The one that seemed to be reenacting something with two other girls, and ended up jumping on one of the guys' back, piggyback style, everyone laughing.

It finally occurred to Sasuke as he watched her from the restaurant that Sakura Haruno actually had a life outside of the one that revolved around him (surprise, surprise!).

And, as he turned back to Karin to give a minimal response to something she said, it occurred to him that he didn't like it. He didn't like it at all.

He didn't like how open she was around other people, how unafraid and confident, how funny and _flirty_ she was_. Especially_ how flirty she was.

He turned back to the window, wanting to examine this new side of Sakura he'd never seen.

To his (denied) dismay, one of the boys confronted her, looking sheepish. Actually, he looked kind of familiar, only Sasuke couldn't place him. It must have been at some party when he was drunk or something. Anyways, she was talking to him now. The boy. And they were slowly making distance between the group and themselves to go sit on a bench nearby. The group gave them their space, pretending not to eavesdrop.

Sasuke suddenly felt moody (not that he wasn't before), obviously because of the alone time she was spending with this boy (_who_ did that guy think he _was _anyway_?_) even though he wouldn't admit it. Almost angrily, he turned away from the window again; back to (sigh) Karin.

Not only did he not want to be here, but he wanted to be out there, walking across the street to… well, what would he do anyway? Tell her that she couldn't see anyone else, even though he was the one with the girlfriend? Kiss her in front of everybody, losing the bet? Punch the guy in the face? Or maybe he had already done the last one… he didn't know, party memories were always fuzzy (or nonexistent).

But alas, here he was sitting in a restaurant, wasting his money on an annoying girl for a reputation he had to keep. After staring at Karin blankly while she told some meaningless story, he switched views for the third time to outside, and was miffed when he saw them still talking. Alone.

Another minute and they finally ended their conversation (ch, no… Sasuke wasn't relieved at that…) as a blonde girl, one he knew from school, brought Sakura an ice cream.

Sakura gave the guy a quick half-hug which he returned, and then accepted the ice cream. Now Sasuke _really_ wanted to go out there and punch the guy.

Apparently Karin finally caught on that he wasn't interested in anything she was saying and followed his gaze out the window.

"Hey," she said, "Doesn't that girl go to our school?"

Sasuke didn't reply, and kept his eyes on Sakura – she surprised him again, confidently posing for a camera someone had with the blonde girl. Sasuke finally recalled her name to be Ino… or something like that. Then another blonde girl, one he didn't recognize, jumped on the bench they were sitting on to join the picture. And soon, almost everyone in the group tried to fit on the bench, Sakura now standing to make more room, changing poses dynamically for every picture taken.

"She's… weird." Karin concluded snottily, crinkling her nose.

"Hn," Sasuke replied, his automatic response. But really he found some truth in Karin's words.

It _was_ weird that he could barely recognize the girl outside, one that he _thought_ he knew. Well, at least physically. But still, it irked him somewhat, that she was so different when he wasn't around. That she was comfortable with this random group of friends. Was this who she really was with other people? With her other friends or this random guy?

Was this how she was around Naruto?

Jealousy suddenly overwhelmed him, and he was taken back by the strength of it – actually, he was taken back by the fact that he was even feeling jealous. Sure it was Naruto and they always try to out win the other, so it's likely that he'd get competitive.

But…

_He_wanted to know this Sakura.

Sure it was her amusingly flustered side that seemed to catch his attention in the first place (and the fact that she was going out with the idiot), but it was just like that time, back when they were at his house and she was pushed in the pool and she came out all wet and… attractive. It was like, who is this Sakura, and where can I get one?

He didn't realize that he had zoned out until Karin spoke up again.

"What's she doing _now_?" she said, in that same snotty (annoying, irritating, aggravating) voice.

Sasuke turned his focus back to Sakura, where he found her unmoving and staring at something while everyone else had gone back to… well, whatever they were doing. He followed her gaze, wanting to figure out what had caught her attention.

Ah. His Maserati: parked outside, a couple of spaces away from the restaurant. Of course she'd stare – who else has a dark blue Maserati Diablo that she knows of?

Strangely, Sasuke turned his head away from the window, not wanting Sakura to see him on a date with Karin, not wanting her to see that he was lurking her from across the street.

Strangely, because usually he'd jump at the chance to fluster her.

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"Hello?"

"It's your turn, idiot."

"Wha? Aw man! Really?"

"Hn."

"Aw that sucks! I was really looking forward to getting smashed tonight!"

"I'm crying for you."

"Fuck, shut up, this is really disappointing – I didn't even get drunk the last party. I was going out with Hinata the next morning.

"Still crying."

"Just shut up. Shit. Aw fuck. Okay, whatever, I'll just pick you up in an hour."

"I'll be at Karin's."

"What? Why?"

"She wants to get ready before we go."

"She's coming too?"

"Your rules, not mine."

"Fine, whatever. What's her address?"

Sasuke glanced at Karin, now beside him in his car. "Address?" he asked, monotone.

"665 Orangeview Drive." She recited, and Sasuke repeated it into the phone.

"Okay, I'll be there in an hour." Naruto answered morosely.

"Hn." He replied, and then, as an afterthought, "Invite Sakura."

Naruto and Karin's 'What?' occurred simultaneously, immediately after the words left his mouth.

"Invite Sakura," Sasuke repeated, hardly fazed. He could feel Karin glaring at him suspiciously.

"What? Why?" Naruto asked.

"Designated Driver," Sasuke answered simply (sure, yeah right, Sasuke, that's all), and practically felt Karin's snotty smirk.

"Yes! You're a genius! Then _I _won't have to be!" Naruto yelled, and then, "Wait, she's probably got plans or something."

"No, I just passed her on the street, she's doing nothing," Except walking around and being _weird_ with a group of supposed friends and some _guy_. Because she really shouldn't be with them anyways.

Luckily Karin was too busy examining her nails to notice his lie, not that he cared if she did.

"Awesome! Sweet alcohol here I come!" Naruto rejoiced, and then seconds later, hung up.

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Sakura's POV

So other than a mild panic attack I had when I thought Sasuke might have been nearby and watching, the reunion was really, really fun. We relived old inside jokes and stories – It wasn't awkward at all. Even with Moji, who after dinner had a talk with me and cleared up that whole thing that happened at the end of grade eight. It all went smoothly.

But then the whole group was going over to one of the guys' houses so they could party hardy, so I started to get uncomfortable. Here I established myself as Queen Bee again, and now I had to risk it by going to this party where they'd all be bad-shit-listing it up, and I …_wouldn't_.

So you can probably guess how much gratitude I had towards Naruto when he called me just before we started to make our way towards the house the party was being hosted at. Although his request of me being the DD for him that night wasn't something I necessarily wanted to do (as it was another party I was now going to), I jumped at the offer considering the situation I was in, and the fact that it would give me the excuse not to drink.

So I made an excuse to everyone about how my friend really needed me and that I had to go. I also thought it wasn't fair to ditch Ino, so after secretly telling her the real reason, I invited her along. She agreed, as it's Ino, who wouldn't miss a party where all the populars at our school were going.

However by leaving the reunion, I unintentionally got myself way in over my head.

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A/N thanks again to the reviewers! Seriously, you don't have to review as much as you guys did last time (although it was awesome!) I can't say when the next chapter is but as usual I will try and do it as fast as I can.


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N**

**Again with the anonymous flames! **Come on – don't those guys read or anything? I asked if they could reply with some sort of contact or by signing in, cuz I swear a lot of this could either be constructive if I just knew what made them so **angry**! Plus really, I think a lot of it is a misunderstanding.

I mean, for those who reviewed anonymously saying things like "omg this sucks. Its so out of character and everything. They're so immature, and so ooc. And Florida? What is that? That's so stupid they're Japanese" etc etc.

First I'd like to ask them 'have you read the authors note at the very beginning of the story? Because it says right there that this is originally an ORGINAL story, and it just so happened that it could relate to the Naruto characters, and then the story started to evolve a little into the Naruto universe.

So Florida is highly acceptable for characters who are supposed to be American anyways. I mean, just look at the title 'change in direction' – its called that because originally it's a play on words with the Sasuke's character whose supposed have the last name "West" in my story.

Then I'd like to ask these people 'when did you go to the Naruto series creators and interview them and read their minds, since, _apparently,_ you know each of the characters personalities and exactly how they're supposed to act. Next time, invite me."

Sorry for that rant there………

TO ALL OF THE LOVELY PEOPLE WHO REVIEWED (and didn't flame anonymously) THANKS SO SO SO MUCH! Really, it's the reviews that I get that are my motivation. So this 32 page-long chapter is dedicated to you guys. All 32 of them :)

**Chapter 20**

Sakura's POV

Can you imagine how awkward it was for me, finding out that I wasn't _just_ picking up Naruto? That half an hour from now I would be in my car, Ino in the passenger seat, with not only Naruto in the back, but Karin and Sasuke as well?

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Sasuke's POV

Sasuke kept his head facing straight out the window. His arm around Karin was enough for now; he didn't need to put on any more of a show. Naruto, sitting on the other side of her and holding the bag containing their alcohol contribution to the party, also kept his head looking out the window, looking slightly uncomfortable. However, nothing compared to Sakura, in the front seat, clutching the steering wheel tightly, her nervousness showing in her jerky driving (Sasuke idly wondered coughpanickedcough if this was how she drove in his Maserati way back when she had that party at her house…). The only other movement in the car was the girl, Ino, in the passenger seat, constantly taking out her makeup and checking it in the mirror.

The rest of the car was silent.

In an attempt to possibly reduce the awkwardness, Sakura fumbled with the radio. After flipping through a couple of stations with no success of any relatively good music, she turned it off. Her eyes flickered to the rearview mirror, most likely trying to gauge their expressions when Sasuke made eye contact.

She switched her eyes back to the road immediately, but Sasuke could see her reflection, still in the rearview mirror, how her cheeks flushed.

"Hey Sasuke," Naruto finally spoke, everyone listening in, glad that someone decided to relieve some of the tension. "Remember what happened last time we were at Myri's?"

Sasuke was silent, and then in a tone that made it clear it was a good memory, he replied with a, "Hn."

"We're going to have to make exceptions then." Naruto continued.

"Exceptions for what?" Karin asked suspiciously as she leaned into Sasuke's arm.

"Wha? Uh, nothing. Just this thing that happened… No big deal." Naruto replied, making it apparent that whatever he and Sasuke were talking about was some sort of an inside joke.

And so, the car went back into an awkward silence.

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Sakura's POV

The second we entered the house I was assaulted with the smell of both cigarette smoke and alcohol. Surprised at all the damage that was already done to the house on first glance, I briefly wondered what the host, this 'Myri', would do once it was over.

The five of us split up upon entering; Naruto held the booze bag above his head and gave some sort of battle cry in reply to everyone's cheers as he made his way over to a noisy and obviously drunk group; Sasuke lead Karin to a makeshift bar as she flaunted their linked arms; Ino immediately introduced herself to a random group with the intent of becoming popular and/or drunk with them.

I stood nervously at the door, unsure of what I should do.

Finally Naruto noticed my hesitation and waved me over to the group he was talking to.

"Yo guys! This is Sakura!" He said, and took a large gulp from the bottle of beer in his hands.

What followed was a bunch of hello's, hi's, what's up's, cat calls, hoots, and whistles.

"Aha, ignore them, they're just drunk," Naruto said, trying to ease my nerves, and slung an arm around my shoulder.

"Sakura can I get you a drink?" One of the guys asked me, boldly taking place at my side.

"Uh… No thanks," I replied and moved a little closer to Naruto.

"Aw come on, please?" He persisted, and then another one of the guys cut in.

"Nah, man, she just doesn't like you," he told him and then turned to me, "You'll let me get you a drink though, right?"

"No, sorry," I answered, feeling small and meek surrounded by large, drunk, testosterone-filled males. They all laughed at the turn down I gave the guy, and then it almost turned into a joke – which one of guys from this group could get me a drink. Although flattered by the attention I was receiving, I felt a little trapped…

And a bit like I was betraying Sasuke (although he _is_ here with his girlfriend, so I shouldn't)…

But one look over my shoulder, seeing Sasuke leaning across a table towards Karin, made me turn back to the group and dive into the conversation, asking their names, what school they go to, etc. Come _on_, I can't just stand here pining over some stupid (incredibly hot) boy.

Immediately my questions were receiving answers, and then when they all asked me why I wasn't drinking, Naruto answered for me.

"She's my designated driver for the night," he said, and – was there pride in his voice? – lifted his beer bottle (already on number 3) up in a cheers. The rest of the guys surrounding us met his bottle with their own drinks and simultaneously bellowed "DD!"

…I'm guessing it was some sort of inside joke, praising the one that had to stay sober (even if it is by choice).

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Sasuke's POV

A large cheer from the other side of the room caught Sasuke's attention. Looking over his shoulder he found Sakura surrounded by a large group of males, talking and cheering with them.

Sasuke scowled.

He did not like what was going on over there. Not at all.

Sure, she can make friends, and she can talk to other guys… But did it really have to be _them_?

So maybe he was getting a bit possessive. Just maybe.

It was almost ironic. Here he was, a bona fide player, sitting at a table with his _girlfriend_, while Sakura was over hanging with a bunch of other guys – guys he'd usually be hanging out with at a party like this (who also have a reputation similar to his) – and he was jealous.

Because he wanted to be over there – but not necessarily to flirt and play around – he wanted to dive in there and punch half of every guys' lights out…

Okay, so maybe he_ was _being possessive. And a little violent…

Not his fault though. He was stuck putting up with the annoying girl in front of him…

Or was he?

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"Sasuke," she giggled, toying with her red hair, "Are you trying to get me drunk?"

Sasuke smirked and gave a low chuckle, knowing she'd like it (and knowing it would make her shut up).

Karin giggled again.

Ignoring it this time, he laid out the shot glasses in front of her and proceeded to fill them all – in a constant stream – with tequila.

After filling the last one, he set the bottle down, crossed his arms and looked at Karin expectantly.

"I… I can't drink all of those Sasuke." She said, mild panic showing through her trying-to-be-flirtatious voice.

So Sasuke threw back the first half of them easily, grimacing slightly at the lack of a chaser. Karin regarded him with wide eyes and then took a deep breath. She took the rest of the shots slowly, with a large sip of coke (and a sour face) following each one.

And then to her surprise, Sasuke poured them another round. Like the last, he took the first half of them easily. Karin, slightly shocked but getting too tipsy to notice, took the other half.

And then a third round went by, and Karin was officially smashed (well, that could have been said at the end of the second round, but Sasuke wanted to be sure).

What Karin didn't realize, was that she had about a fifth of the alcohol tolerance that Sasuke had – what had affected her strongly only gave him just over a buzz.

Sasuke leaned across the table, and out of the corner of his eye saw Sakura across the room, staring at him.

_Good_, he thought, although he didn't necessarily want to be seen this close to his supposed girlfriend, especially by her.

"Karin," he whispered, despite the audience he knew he had, "Let's go find a room."

Thrilled with the idea, Karin stood up too quickly and almost fell over. Sasuke stood up as well and felt his head spin just a bit. The alcohol had affected him a little over his expectations.

He half dragged Karin down a hallway until he found a bedroom, partially smirking in that he just knew Sakura's eyes would follow him until he was out of sight.

The second they were inside, he brought Karin down onto the bed where he put up with her sloppy, drunken kisses. He kissed her back, although not as enthusiastically, and helped her take of his shirt when she started to fumble with it.

Although she was way too drunk to notice, he wouldn't let her take off any more items of clothing – after all, he was just putting on a show here.

Eventually he started to slow down her advances and brought their pace to a calm and rhythmic motion.

Almost a lulling motion.

A lulling motion that put her to sleep easily.

Not moving, Sasuke waited until he was sure she had passed out before getting up and putting his shirt back on.

Smirking, he walked out the door and back to the party, _alone_.

…Mission complete.

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Sakura's POV

"Okay, so here are the rules," Myri started as she grabbed a large, empty rum bottle off a nearby table, "It's like your regular spin the bottle, except we add _this_." Out of her pocket she pulled out a standard die and popped it into the bottle. "So you do the usual spinning thing, _but_, if it lands on a one then it's '1 minute in the closet', a two is a 'short kiss', a three is 'spin again', a four is a 'long kiss', a five is 'choose someone else to kiss the person you land on', and six is '6 minutes in the closet'. Everyone got that?"

Wow. Complicated rules for a game I _really _didn't want to play. Naruto conned me into it by saying that Sasuke is bound to play as well – _and_ it wouldn't count towards the bet. Then I asked Naruto why he was playing – he's with Hinata, right? Well he said he had an exception as well, being a 'V.I.P' and all (ch, yeah right), so he wouldn't do anything in the closet. He also said that 'it's just a game, Sak, lighten up.'

Well fine. I will. And Sasuke better get his butt in here so I'm not playing this game for nothing. Where _is_ he anyways? The last time I saw him he was going off with (gag) Karin. _Ugh._

But he really wouldn't do anything like _that_ with her – would he? Although he _has_ done it before, the whole dragging-a-drunken-girl-into-a-room-right-in-front-of-me thing (winning him 'Moron of the Month' or whatever)… But…

No, he wouldn't do it. I mean come _on_, it's Karin.

"So are we all good?" Myri asked. Everyone agreed (which is surprising considering that they were all drunk… maybe they've played it before?) and wanted to "just start the fucking game already" so Myri sat down and completed the circle we had arranged ourselves in. I looked at Ino across the circle to see what she thought about the game, but she was way too absorbed in flirting with the guys beside her to notice me.

"Oh, and just choose the person closest if you land on someone of the same sex." She added, "Unless, you know, you're into that thing."

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1: one minute in the closet

2: a short kiss

3: spin again

4: a long kiss

5: choose someone else

6: six minutes in the closet.

Well, it didn't matter if I could remember the rules or not, because when the game started, Myri practically narrated the whole thing.

Part-way through, Ino left with a group of people she had apparently made friends with to go downstairs and get some fresh air. I'm assuming that meant to go out and smoke. I don't even think Ino knew that, she was just happy to have so many people's attention (and an arm around her shoulders) that she followed them out anyways. That left me alone with a bunch of people I didn't know, with the exception of Naruto.

So obviously I was very uncomfortable playing the game – I mean I was making out with practical strangers. Luckily I didn't have to do anything with Naruto or anything in the closet yet, so it wasn't _all _that bad.

Except then Sasuke finally decided to grace us with his presence. Of course it had to be when it was my turn, and I had rolled a number 4 on one of the guys I was talking to earlier. And _of course_ it had to be right when I was in the middle of kissing him so when it ended I realized Sasuke had been there the whole time.

Now blushing furiously, I sat back down in my spot in the circle, embarrassed that he'd seen me kissing like _that_ with someone else (although a part of me was thinking 'yeah, _that's right_, Sasuke).

Although…

When I risked a glance at him, he was staring at me, emotionless.

Emotionless, and something else – but it was hard to tell _what_ exactly it was.

Jealousy? Anger? Just plain, cold, indifference?

Was it even anything at all? Was I just imagining it?

His eyes still on me, Sasuke turned his head to the person beside him and replied to what I guess was a question – I couldn't really hear. His expression slowly turned to a smirk when the guy beside him (eek, one I had made out with in the game before Sasuke got here) held out his hand for a sort of high-five handshake thing.

Ch, men and their manly handshakes.

Wait a sec – does the manly handshake mean he _did _do something with Karin? I mean, guys just don't _do_ manly handshakes' all the time for no reason, right?

"Yo Sasuke, where's Karin?" Naruto asked, sitting halfway across the circle between Sasuke and I.

"Passed out," he answered with a smirk, and everyone laughed. Then, after a couple of seconds (I guess not to cause any suspicion), his eyes turned to me again. His gaze, unlike last time, wasn't completely emotionless. In some way, with that look, Sasuke seemed to send a sort of message saying 'don't worry' – as in 'don't worry I didn't do anything with Karin even though alone and drunk' type of message? I hope so, although knowing Sasuke, I'm not sure if I should believe him.

But then… maybe that explains why-

"Sakura! Your turn again!" Myri broke through my thoughts, sounding surprised.

"What?" I asked, glancing at Sasuke quickly before turning to Myri, and then the bottle.

Ah.

The bottle was pointing at me. Again.

Uh oh. Who was I kissing now in front of Sasuke?

According to Myri, it was a guy sitting across the circle from me, one that I think I was talking to before, but I can't remember his name.

And, I wouldn't have to kiss him in front of Sasuke. Because this guy rolled a 1.

I suddenly didn't want to play any more, even if it's only one minute – the idea of being alone in the closet with someone else kind of scared me.

But the guy was already making his way to the closet, and people were already ushering me to follow. Glancing one more time at Sasuke, I stood up and walked towards the closet

The second we were inside with the door closed, the guy pulled me up against him and started kissing me. Like, right away. Instantly.

_Ew_. Sasuke is a _way_ better kisser than this guy is. I mean this guy doesn't even have any technique; he's just all _over_ the place. He even brought his hands up to try and grope me, and I'm thinking like '_buddy_, it's only one minute, what are you planning on _doing_?'

So I slapped his hands away as politely as I could and kept on thinking in my head 'It's only one minute, it's only one minute.'

When the time was up and Myri called us back out, I was the first one to exit, scampering out of the closet as fast as I could. I do _not_ want to go in there _ever again_.

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Sasuke's POV

It was hard for someone like Sasuke, who wasn't used to overpowering emotions at all, to just play it cool. Being slightly drunk, it took quite a bit of restraint to act like he wasn't going to run over to the closet and chop it down with an axe if he had to.

_Drunken thoughts. They're just drunken thoughts._

But it was hard to even _think_ that when he just heard a groan coming from the closet. Sasuke clenched his jaw and tried to simmer down.

_What the fuck are they _doing_ in there?_

It was only one minute – I mean, she wouldn't be doing anything like _that_, would she? No. It's Sakura. She would be shy and nervous and–

Suddenly, Sasuke was reminded of the time when she jumped on him in his car. …Would Sakura really be shy and nervous? And now he was reminded of seeing her at diner earlier that day (or was it yesterday?), and how she was a completely different person. She was confident. _Would she really be shy and nervous?_

And then Sasuke felt a sense of relief, which he pretended he didn't feel – because he _didn't, _he swears – wash through him when Sakura exited the closet quickly, blushing and looking like she was running for her life. Her eyes immediately went to him and then she looked away embarrassed, blushing even more.

And oh, how _badly_ Sasuke wanted to punch the guy in the face when he casually walked out of the closet behind her and gave a thumbs up to one of his buddies in the circle.

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Sakura's POV

Okay, how are they doing that?

_How_ are they _doing_ that?

How is it that almost _every_ girl in this circle has spun the bottle and landed it on Sasuke?

_How?_

I swear they somehow mastered the physics behind the friction and centripetal force of a glass bottle on carpet and are using it so they can land on Sasuke. I _swear_.

I'm not even going to deny that I'm jealous right now – I mean, how would you feel, spending a full week having the hottest guy ever all to your self (well, _almost_ all to myself), and then having to share him around with random girls at some random party playing some random game. And, I mean, a lot of the random girls. And it's not even that _I_ haven't had a chance to kiss him – 'cause I _have_ – but it hasn't been anything in the closet (like other girls) and it hasn't been a gazillion times (like other girls).

It's only been 2 short kisses, 1 spin again, and _one_ long kiss. But who's counting?

Okay, that's it. The next time I get to spin the bottle, it _will_ land on Sasuke.

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Oh crap.

Really? I mean, _really???_

The one time I actually try and calculate spinning the bottle, the one time I put up all my hopes and everything into that one spin, the one time I'm praying to God, or to Buddha, or whatever, I land on Naruto.

_Naruto_.

Really? I mean, _really???_

And it's not just _any_ kiss I have to do. It's one minute in the closet. One freaking minute in the closet.

And now you're probably saying, 'Oh, it's okay Sakura, Naruto said that he wouldn't do anything in the closet, remember? _Remember?_'

Well, it would have been that way if everyone didn't know that we used to date, and if everyone didn't think that it would be hilarious if we went in the closet together because it would be so awkward, _and_ if everyone saw the look of absolute murder on Sasuke's face.

Well, not _absolute_ murder. Maybe not even murder at all; he's just narrowing his eyes. But for Sasuke that's got to mean _something_, right? That's got to be something other than plain cold indifference. At least, I wish it is.

Anyways, Naruto and I got pressured into going in the closet for a minute (not that we'll _do_ anything…). So now I'm here, sitting on a storage bin with Naruto a foot away from me on a pile of partially full duffel bags.

"Well, this is a bit awkward." Naruto said, breaking the ice.

"Yup…" I replied, drumming my fingers on my knees.

"You know," he started, and then I waited as he seemed to contemplate his thought, "I think we should just kiss. Only once. Just for the game – just for old time's sake, you know?"

I laughed quietly, thinking that the alcohol was speaking now.

"Oh yeah?" I asked.

"Yeah, come on, just like the old days."

"Oh yeah?" I said again – I could even see the approaching banter from a mile away.

"And what makes you think that I _want_ to kiss you?"

"Ch, come _on_ Sak, as I recall you _loved_ kissing me when we were going out."

"As _I _recall, I was practically _teaching_ you how to kiss when we were going out." (Ha, what a lie).

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah."

"So when I kissed you, you felt _nothing_? Absolutely nothing at all?" Naruto asked in a disbelieving tone.

"Right on."

"I was that bad?" He was joking now, probably knowing that I'm bluffing about my abilities and that he has had _way _more experience then me.

"And I don't think you've gotten any better."

"You're sure?"

"Totally."

"So if I kissed you right now, you'd _still_ feel nothing."

"Zip and Zilch."

"Really, I think it's the other way around, I mean you _barely _knew how to kiss properly when we were going out."

"Oh so _you_ didn't feel anything? Is that what you're saying?"

"Nope. Not then, not now."

"Okay, fine then. Let's kiss. Right now." I said, getting into not only the spin the bottle game, but this whose-the-better-kisser game Naruto and I were playing right now. I edged my way towards Naruto on the storage bin.

"Fine." He answered, also moving towards me.

"And you'll feel nothing?"

"Nope, nothing."

"Neither will I."

And just like that, we kissed.

And it wasn't even awkward at all – not that I'm saying I was _feeling_ anything – it was just that we were both too caught up in trying to give each other our best kiss we didn't even realize what was going on.

And what was going on was that Naruto and I looked like we were going at it. I mean, _really_ going at it.

Everyone saw it too, because practically three seconds after we started kissing, Myri opened the door to the surprise that awaited her in the closet, aka – Naruto and I.

Once we realized the door had opened we jumped apart, embarrassed with what we must have looked like. We took our places in the circle as some of the guys gave Naruto that manly sort of handshake and a couple of people did the scandalous 'Ooooohhh.'

I avoided meeting Sasuke's eyes, afraid at what I might find there. Well, it was easy enough to see what he felt without even looking.

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Sasuke's POV

Sasuke finally decided to cheat.

Because enough was enough.

Seriously though, how many guys has she kissed, and how little of them had been himself? And how fucking _intense_ were Naruto and Sakura when Myri opened the door on them?

Come on, _what was that?_

So just this one time, because he's not desperate or anything, he spun the bottle trying to angle it just right, with just the right amount of force so that it landed somewhere… specific.

The die revealed a number two.

It would be short, it would be small, but damn would he show her that Naruto was _nothing_ compared to him.

So she moved forward from across the circle, leaning on her hands, and hesitantly waited for him to make a move. Sasuke slowly leaned forwards as well, and for a moment their faces hovered within inches of each other. Then Sasuke's hand shot out to her chin, and taking a firm hold of it, he pulled her towards him to close the distance and pressed their lips together roughly.

In that small amount of time, he made sure that she knew who was boss around here. He made sure that this kiss was _powerful_ – enough so to make her elbows weaken and her arm fumble, so that she had to pull away to regain her balance. He kept his eyes on her as she retreated to her spot in the circle, meek and blushing, as he returned to his.

And _yes_, she definitely felt something. Come on, only _he _can fluster her that way. Only he could make her so embarrassed so that she can't even look at him, that she has to cross her arms to fight her shivers, that her face turns that bright (and slightly alarming) shade of red. So yes, she _definitely _felt something.

And…

Sasuke balled his left hand into a fist…

_Was… was he feeling something?_

…and clenched the fingers that had started to tingle, just slightly.

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…_Holy hell_ was she good.

How had he forgotten? Or maybe he never forgot, it was just that he was preoccupied since.

But still, _holy hell_ was she good.

Myri and Sasuke were in the closet for six minutes, and it was one hell of a lucky roll for Sasuke. Seriously, this girl could _kiss_. It's probably why things had turned out like they did the last time she had this kind of party. Now that he recalls, Sasuke can remember _exactly _how it happened.

They had been in the closet, probably past the time limit, and Sasuke had been, like he was now, blown away by Myri's experience. So much in fact that he… well… to put it simply, he had been turned on.

After the game had ended there were more party shenanigans – drinking, dancing, stupid stunts, maybe smoking up, taking a dip in the pool (if you call drunkenly cannon-balling in with all of your clothes on _and_ a beer bottle in each hand a dip in the pool coughnarutocough), the usual. But the whole time Sasuke and Myri kept tabs on each other; the occasional glances, the seductive smirks, the winks, all inclusive (well, mostly on Myri's part).

This was until Sasuke thought, quite cockily, w_hat the hell am I doing? I'm Sasuke Uchiha._

And despite being drunk, possibly high, way too confident, and way too self assured that he could do anything at that moment, he was still _Sasuke Uchiha,_ and Sasuke doesn't wait around to play games unless he's the one making the rules.

So, he walked up right to Myri. She was, by now, already outside by the pool, and since he was more than just intoxicated his confident walk was more of a traipse. His drunken mind told him that he would go right up to her, and tell her what he thought – which doesn't mean talking per say, rather he would tell her via mouth-to-mouth communication.

However, Naruto, who by that point should have been arrested for drinking and walking, since he was _that_ much of a hazard, intercepted Sasuke on his journey with an arm slung around his shoulder and a couple of unbalanced steps. Naruto timbered into the water with Sasuke following in his headlock.

Now, at first, Sasuke would have been angry, which he was, then he would have probably decided to pummel Naruto into the ground, er, water, but since Sasuke was Sasuke and the party was a party, he and Naruto were not alone in the pool for long.

Because Naruto in the pool means yeah, it's a party, but Sasuke on the other hand, in the pool, means _hell yeah_, _it's_ _a party_. Especially since he still had all of his clothes on.

So Sasuke, now soaking wet and swimming, was surrounded by many of the other guests there, and guess who happened to slither up beside him? It was Myri – and look! She's versatile – not only was she one hell of a kisser in a closet, but she could pull off the whole pool-make-out-session with flying colours. _Flying colours_.

So one thing lead to another, and then that thing lead to another, and then _that_ thing lead to another, and finally Sasuke woke up very naked in Myri's bedroom the next morning, underneath her covers and an arm around her waist. He lazily got redressed in slightly damp clothing and made his way downstairs where he raided her fridge and figured out how to use her coffee machine. Myri came down a while later, followed by Naruto and her friend who must have taken another room for the night.

All was good, if not slightly awkward, until the front door opened and, much earlier than expected, came Myri's: A typical Stepford wife and a large, quite beefy, no-funny-business type of dad who had called out, 'Myri-bear? You home?" in a pleasant voice. Until, of course, he saw the state of the house, where it turned into, "_Myri-bear! _Where the _hell_ are you!?"

In those few moments, Naruto and Sasuke had reverted to escape mode and threw on their shoes which were conveniently at the back door. With a couple of curses and goodbyes, they booked it for their lives out into the backyard.

Unlike their shoes, Myri's backyard fence was quite inconvenient, and very, very tall. Scrambling to escape, the two exhibited an escape routine to be envied - Sasuke was boosted up onto the fence with the help of Naruto, and in turn, Sasuke would pull Naruto up the fence as well. A glance back at the house showed Myri's dad storming through toward his daughter until he caught sight of the two boys trying to escape from his backyard. Her father's course immediately changed and now Naruto was yelping at Sasuke for help in full and actual fear that Myri's father was going to catch him, molest him, and then beat him into a fucking fruit smoothie (actual words, rephrased).

Sasuke reached for Naruto's hand and helped him over the fence, and they both flipped over the other side and landed in a heap in the neighboring yard. From there they ran through the yard, into and across a couple of front lawns, and finally onto the street, far away from the angered, protective father probably out to get their heads on a platter.

They rested on a bench on the sidewalk, Naruto laughing and Sasuke chuckling slightly, until Naruto claimed that he was hungry and Sasuke silently claimed that he could use another couple cups of coffee to get rid of the hangover he had. Next stop, the closest all-day breakfast diner.

But that was last time, and it was unlikely that they would end up at an all-day breakfast diner again, as Sasuke noticed one thing.

The last time he was with Myri, he had been doing a similar flirting act as he was doing at this party with Sakura, _but_…

He realized this in almost shock.

_He didn't feel anything._

Strange.

_Very_ strange.

Last time this would have gotten him ready to fast-forward to the bedroom rather than go through all of the steps in between, but this time…

He wasn't feeling anything. Uh, at all.

Maybe it was the alcohol. Maybe he wasn't all that into it at the moment. Maybe if he just tried….

…Nope. That didn't work. Still nothing, which was a total mood _and_ buzz killer.

Suddenly, Sasuke didn't really feel like being in the closet anymore. Sure it helped is rep and his street cred, but other than that it was basically just wasting his time. It was basically just-

Wait, what was that? That tingle in his arm? Was he _finally_ feeling something? Was this just a big misunder-

…Nope. Nevermind. Just a piece of Velcro scratching against his skin from one of the duffel bags.

Sasuke sighed and Myri noticed his lack of enthusiasm. She pulled back.

"Sasuke?" her tone asked the hidden question, 'what's going on and why aren't you kissing me?'

Sasuke lifted an eyebrow, pretending he didn't know what Myri was asking, because at that moment he didn't want to know her well enough that he knew the end of her questions before she even said them.

"You okay?" She asked, moving her hands to trace over his muscled stomach. Sasuke shifted so that her hands would pull away.

"Hn." Sasuke replied. "I'm just losing my buzz."

"That's easy, more shots?"

"Hn." He replied, and followed her out of the closet.

Except Myri didn't know just what type of buzz he was actually losing.

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Sakura's POV

The two of them walked out of the closet a minute earlier than they were supposed to, which gave me hope that something had gone wrong, or that Sasuke didn't want to be there.

My hopes were shot down when they ignored the circle, walking right by us, and out the door to go downstairs. Myri popped her head back in.

"Just getting some more drinks," she said, "just go on without us."

But I didn't _want_ to go on. Not with Sasuke gone.

What seemed like a gazillion more rounds and a short kiss with a random guy later, Myri and Sasuke returned. From their walk (and their practical canoodling) I could tell they'd had a few more to drink, and they had brought the excess for the rest of the circle. By excess I mean a bottle and a quarter of vodka. With that it mind, I didn't even want think about what took them so long.

However, my eyes didn't go to how they were walking or the drink in their hands first – what caught my attention the second they walked in was Sasuke's arm around Myri's waist, their sides pressed together. Something I did not want to see at all.

Then Sasuke's eyes found mine, and only then did I realize my expression; one that included a small frown, a slightly parted mouth, and some possible puppy eyes. Strangely, his eyes still on me, he slowly pulled his arm away from Myri, and then blinked once slowly, as if to clear his head.

I turned away, not wanting to draw attention by our interaction, especially since Myri had caught on to our little staring contest.

The two rejoined the circle sitting next to each other. Myri made a point of leaning her weight on him and moving her hand to play with the hair on the back of his head. He didn't seem to mind, which made my stomach do a couple of unpleasant flips. Actually he even encouraged some of her moves, like when she brought her head close to his; he in turn decided to kiss along her neck. Why he was being so _affectionate_ – and _why_ was he being such an asshole? I mean, come _on_, he's doing all of this right in front of me. Maybe it's just the alcohol, because he must be really drunk by now…

Or maybe it's because he has an exception with the whole bet thing, and he's trying to make as much of it as he can…

Or maybe… he's trying to make me jealous? Could that be it? It _is_ a more pleasant thought than the other two, where Sasuke is basically a complete jerk. This idea makes him a sort of… thoughtful jerk. If Sasuke can even _be_ thoughtful.

Well he's not the only one who can play that game. The next time someone spun me I made sure to make it look good – because I'm not going down with out a fight.

I was lucky that it was a number 4 (a long kiss) and that the person who spun me was a good kisser, in that it was easy to make it look steamy _and_ I didn't have to worry about him trying to grope me in the closet. When we met at the centre of the circle I smiled shyly at the guy, embarrassed that I was going to really try for a good kiss in front of everyone. He gave a little half smile and I noticed that he was pretty good looking, although nothing compared to Sasuke in my books.

I leaned in, starting off hesitant, and then gradually made our kiss longer and deeper. Eventually I wrapped one of my arms around his neck to pull us closer together, hoping that Sasuke was watching.

The guy in turn reached for the back of my head, his fingers twisted in my hair. It finally ended when Myri called out 'Okay you two, leave some time for the rest of us,' so I pulled away slowly and bit my lip, trying (note: _trying_) to give a modest but coy smile. When I returned to my seat it took all of my will power to not even spare Sasuke I glance. I wanted to look like I didn't care if he was with Myri, I wanted to look like I was really into the guy I just kissed, who was actually helping my little performance in that I think he was interested in me as well.

Maybe I was trying too hard, I mean, when do I _ever_ get flirtatious or confident or interested in anyone other then Sasuke? But right now he was up close and personal with _Myri_. He and _Myri_ were getting all snuggly on the other side. He and _Myri_ were practically glued to each other. So _I_ wanted to pretend that _I_ was gonna get glued to someone else.

If I had glanced at Sasuke as I took hold of the bottle, since it was my turn now, I would have seen his passive stare directed right at me. After I spun, I would have seen him shift slightly when I tried to make eyes at the guy I just made out with, and I would have seen his slight frown when the guy gave a small smile in return. However I did see, as the bottle was in motion, the guy's smile diminish when Sasuke decided to switch from staring at me, to staring at him.

I also saw Myri's narrowed eyes when the bottle rolled to a stop.

Technically, my six minutes in the closet should have been with her, but according to _her_ rules, I would go with the closest person of the opposite sex; and we all know who she was practically _sitting_ on.

Sasuke stood up with a sort of 'let's-get-this-over-and-done-with' attitude, no expression on his face and ignoring Myri's disapproving mumble. I stood up nervously, my heart beating rapidly in my chest. I almost felt nauseous as I walked towards the closet.

I mean, yeah, this is what I've been wanting this whole time, but I just made it look like I was chasing after some other guy, and Sasuke… well I think he was ready to go run off with some other girl. I think it was a mutual feeling – at the same time we wanted (or at least, I wanted) to jump each other in the closet, but we also wanted to pretend like the bottle didn't even choose him – that we could avoid this whole situation in the first place.

I mean, what would we _do _in there? Sure, I've kissed Sasuke, and sure, I've been with him alone, and _sure_, I've kissed him _while_ being with him alone – but this, this was different. This time we were outside of school. It wasn't a game to hide our little affair 'thing' any more. Sasuke could kiss me as many times as he wanted in spin the bottle. But only if he wanted to… and I'm not sure if he really did right now, with me flaunting myself at someone else, and he… well, he was getting cozy with Myri. No matter how badly I wanted to just touch him, I knew that it would be awkward beyond words in there.

So, clenching my fingers together so they wouldn't shake, I entered the closet, Sasuke just seconds behind me. I sat down on the pile of duffel bags, trying to assume a similar situation like I had in art class two weeks ago – getting in first so _he_ would have to be the one to make the move (since I really, really wanted him to make a move).

Just like art class two weeks ago, Sasuke walked in, and without hesitation, sat down beside me. I was confused as to what this meant; did he want us to kiss? I observed him warily out of the corner of my eyes. Did he want to just sit there? He wasn't doing anything, just idly watching the sliver of light from the doorway on his hands. Did he want me to make the first move? Did he want to just-

"Fuck, I'm so tired." he breathed, closing his eyes slowly and laying back onto the duffel bags. I blinked once, surprised that he spoke, and then just continued sitting silently, unsure of what he was doing and what I should do.

He was sitting – or laying – so close that I could feel the body heat from his legs on mine; we were practically touching. And all of a sudden, after he said those words, after I contemplated them in my head for a while, all of the awkwardness between us in that closet just melted away.

It was suddenly comfortable, and I was able to relax my tense shoulders, unclench my hands. Because I realized, right there in the closet, that what Sasuke had done just by saying those words and laying back on the duffel bags, was let his guard down_. In front of me._ Which is, for Sasuke, Mr. 'I'm-to-cool-for-school', a big thing.

So I thought it was only right to do the same.

I lay back, so that I was right beside him, looking at the ceiling in that I was sort of afraid to look at him, and replied quietly, "Yeah…"

For the next minute or two, we were silent. Silent, but comfortable. However, it was still so weird that I was doing this with Sasuke. Never had he just sat down and expressed what he felt in front of me (even if he was just speaking aloud about him being tired), instead of trying to act cool, or trying (and succeeding) to fluster me.

Another minute passed by, and there was still no word, no movement from Sasuke. I sat up on my elbow to take a peek at him.

My heart almost exploded when I first saw his face. It was like the time when he had passed out on his couch just before Christmas break. Gone was the intimidating, stony face, and here was one that was almost serene, minus the small furrow between his eyebrows, and he was absolutely gorgeous.

I then noticed the dark circles under his eyes.

_Fuck, I'm so tired_.

Along with his words, numerous images of Sasuke popped into my head from previous encounters we had, and almost half of them had Sasuke with the same, dark, tired eyes. Is that just how he normally is? Or does he just not sleep very well? Or does he like, never sleep?

I looked at his face now, his eyes closed, his expression relatively calm.

Could that mean…

Could he have fallen asleep now?

"Sa… Sasuke," I whispered, my stomach twisted nervously.

There was no reply, no acknowledgement that he had heard me.

"Sasuke?" I whispered again.

Still no response.

Does that mean he's asleep? Or maybe I was just too quiet?

Hesitantly, I brought my hand forward, and poked him once on the arm. Not only did my finger tingle and my stomach flip, but I noticed how muscled his arm was, and _holy hell_ did that make me want to just wrap my hands around his biceps, and see what other parts of his body were that toned.

But I didn't do that, obviously because that would be _so_ weird and stalkerish and Sasuke would probably throw me off of him, but also because at that moment, when I touched him, Sasuke slowly opened his eyes.

He hadn't been sleeping, which was noticeable from how aware his gaze was when he rested his eyes on me.

And then it felt like everything was in slow motion. Slowly, his hand reached up to the back of my head. Slowly, his fingers twined its way through my hair and then pulled me towards him. I moved stiffly, my body suddenly tense at his touch. Sasuke leaned up towards me to meet me halfway as his other hand moved to my side. All the while he kept his dark, slightly lidded eyes fixed on mine.

Then our lips met.

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Sasuke's POV

The instant they kissed, Sakura's body seemed to melt; her shoulders drooped inwards and her elbows weakened. Sasuke pressed forward, moving the hand on her waist to push up onto his elbow.

It wasn't the heated, rushed feelings that happened when kissing Myri that caused him to deepen their kiss; it wasn't the turning-me-on sort of blood-pumping urge he got when he was this drunk and again, with Myri, that caused him to press their bodies even closer.

This was different, although he couldn't explain how. He was actually _feeling_ it, how his body seemed to buzz at contact with hers, how his fingers seemed to tingle where he touched her, how he had the urge, the want to just have _more_. Because something compelled him to pull her even closer, even deeper – and make her feel the same thing.

And though it seemed ludicrous – he was half drunk, _feeling something_, kind of turned on and terribly exhausted, he started chuckling softly, even with their lips still connected. Turning them both over so he was on top, he hitched her legs up to his waist – and then, before he was even aware of it, his finger had traced down to her abdomen, and poked her.

"You're such a lame actor," he mumbled and moved his mouth to her neck. Against his cheek he could feel her face flushing.

How suddenly the mood had changed from when they first entered the closet. Before it was awkward, silent, they had both been a little pissed off at the other, and he could almost _smell_ her fear; but now here he was, thoroughly enjoying their little make out session, while Sakura had reverted back to flustered paper towel girl. A sort of _hot_ flustered paper towel girl.

It was only when she had suddenly jerked upwards, her weight now resting on her elbows, her expression like a deer caught in headlights, that he realized that one of his hands had found its way to her… breast. He didn't even register what he had done at first, until his eyes finally found this wandering hand, until he saw the shocked expression on her face.

_Oh… shit._

Yes, it was overtop of her clothes and it was only really resting there, but it was still off limits, it was still a boundary, and he had crossed it. Staring at his hand again he wondered how he could have made such a mistake. He had always been so careful not to go too far, and no matter how painful it was sometimes to just make his hands go the other way, he had resisted temptation. However, he had also always been sober during those times, so that was probably the reason for his slip up.

His eyes dragged upwards to meet hers again, where she was still staring at him, a hint of what seemed like fear in her expression.

But no matter how awkward this situation was, how in trouble he should be, how uncomfortable it was for her, he couldn't seem to move. He was stuck, both mentally and physically, his hand still on her chest, his eyes locked on hers.

"I…" Sasuke started, voice low, but couldn't find a way to finish.

Sakura didn't move either, frozen from shock he presumed. And that is why they were still in that position when the door of the closet swung open.

If Sasuke didn't have fast reflexes, if he hadn't pulled his hand away just at that moment, the situation would have been a whole lot more awkward.

"Kay you two, times up," Myri stated, annoyance in her voice. Her eyes flickered between Sasuke and Sakura, and then narrowed them on the latter.

"Uh…" Sakura giggled nervously, her face scarlet, and scrambled to stand up. Sasuke stood up as well, his hand hanging limply at his side, oddly tingly from the place it had been moments before.

Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, Sakura escaped from the closet and continued past the circle.

"Um, I'm just, uh, I'm just gonna go down and check on Ino…"

Sasuke, feeling slightly winded, started to walk back towards the circle nonchalantly. There was a moment when he stumbled, a head rush catching him off guard, and he contemplated on whether it was from standing up to quickly, the alcohol, or the girl who was practically running from the room.

"Too much to drink?" Myri asked, walking in step with him. Sasuke shrugged, answering her question and indirectly shaking the arm she was about to place on his shoulders.

He sat back down just as he registered the events that had happened, just as Sakura left the room, and just as Naruto pointed and slurred after her, "I… I gotch my eyes on youuu."

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Sakura's POV

Just…

Just…

_WHAAAT!!!???_

What the _hell_ was that!?

Did that just really happen!? _REALLY!?_

I was just _molested_ by Sasuke Uchiha.

Holy crap. Oh, my god… Or Buddha.

Just… Just breathe normally. Just calm down, everything is going to be alright Sakura, just all right.

Fine and dandy…

Except not. At all.

He just _groped me_ in the closet.

Like, seriously? _Seriously?_

I know Sasuke is a guy and everything, I mean I should have been expecting it – but he had been _so good_ about not crossing the boundaries, _so good_ about making sure I wasn't about to implode from sheer embarrassment.

I made my way down the hallway, stumbling because my legs felt like Jell-O. I reached the stairs and sat down for about thirty seconds, my knees pulled to my chest and my burning hot face in my hands. It took another thirty seconds to catch my breath again.

And it's not like he just _skimmed_ over it either. His hand was fully _on it_. And he didn't even _move_ it after! It just stayed there - _forever_! I mean, _what the hell!?_

I stood up using the railing as support, my whole body tingling…. Especially…. _That_ part….

I reached the bottom of the stairs, and making sure the room was empty, just quickly shook my body out, almost like a wet dog, trying to rid the buzzing sensation that was _everywhere_.

When I got a hold of myself again I started walking through the living room, the back of my hand pressed to my mouth because my lips felt tingly and numb.

"Ino?" I called out, trying to stop my voice from shaking. I stumbled over someone's beer bottle.

Ugh.

I still can't believe it.

Sasuke had just groped me. He _groped_ me. Although strangely giddy I was fifty times more embarrassed. And randomly hyper – the world seemed so crisp and clear – I think I was having some sort of an adrenaline rush.

"Ino?" I called again, and this time my voice was more coherent than before, shock finally wearing off.

And he didn't _just_ grope me. He poked me. He _poked_ me. _Playfully. _For Sasuke Uchiha, that's almost more surprising than him grabbing my… my boob!

But still. He _groped me_. He had crossed the boundaries that were set up.

And _ugh_ – he knew I was trying to make him jealous. He saw right though my act and called me out. That just topped off the six minutes in the closet.

"Ino?" I called for the third time, and only then did I hear a slurred, sing-song reply, "I'm over heee-errre!"

Entering a room branching off from the living room, through the screen door and outside, was Ino. Ino and a couple other guys and girls, all ready to jump into the pool.

"Ino!" I shrieked, and momentarily forgot about being molested in a closet a couple of minutes prior. Her top was off and she was dancing around in her bra, the button and zipper to her shorts undone.

Upon seeing me she stumbled in an attempt to prance towards me. "Sakura! Are you coming suh-wimmin with us too?" she asked.

"Uh," I shook my head, not really believing what I was seeing, "no." I took her arm and dragged her a couple of feet away from the group she was with, ignoring the 'ouchies' that came from her mouth.

"Ino, what are you _doing_?" I asked, and then common sense and experience with my sister told me better then to try and converse rationally with someone as drunk as she.

"We're suh-wimmin Sakura!" she answered happily, trying to pull herself out of my grip.

"No, Ino. We're going home." I replied and scanned the area for her shirt. I left her briefly to pick it up off the floor and returned before she could run away or go 'suh-wimmin'.

Let me tell you, it is not only awkward to dress your drunken best friend, but very, very difficult. She wouldn't stand still, due to the fact that she'd try and walk over to the group again, who were starting to get into the pool, and she just couldn't keep her balance. I uncomfortably reached down and zipped up her shorts before realizing that she was also missing her shoes.

"Ugh, Ino, where are your shoes?" I asked, frustrated, and let go of her to search for them.

"You don't need shoes to go suh-wimmin!"

After looking for her shoes I concluded that they weren't outside, and after looking for Ino again and seeing her macking a guy she was going to go 'suh-wimmin' with, I concluded that we had to leave now, and I could find her shoes later.

I dragged her through the house, ignoring her sounds and words of protest until I reached my car. I then, while going along with Ino's random line of conversation, buckled her up in the back seat, telling her to stay there. I closed the door, locked the car (and partially thankful for the child locks in the back seat) and walked back to the house to get the guys.

On my way towards the stairs, guess who decided to pop up from wherever she had been? Karin, stumbling and tripping on her way to get into the living room, her hair a disheveled mess, called out, quite whiney, "Where's…. Where's Sasu-boo-boo?"

"Uh," I resisted the urge to gag, "He's… coming down to meet you… I'll go get him." I answered, knowing that there would be a very unhappy rabid drunken Karin if she knew where Sasuke had been this whole time and what he was doing without her. What he had been doing with _me_.

And just… Sasu-_boo-boo_? What even goes through that girl's head?

Whatever.

I dashed up the stairs, finally remembering that oh, _this_ is where we played spin the bottle, oh, _this_ is where I kissed about fifteen thousand different guys, and oh, _this_ is the room where I got felt up by one Sasuke Uchiha.

These thoughts were the reason my face was on fire when I entered the room.

"Uh, Naruto… Sasuke? Um, we have to go now," I said and kept my eyes on the ground, not wanting to see wherever Sasuke was and what he was doing at that moment.

When they didn't reply, I risked a glance up to the circle. Thankfully neither of them were doing anything related to the spin the bottle game at that moment, and after a couple more tries to coax Naruto to leave the party, he finally decided to stand up and walk (stumble) over to me. I followed Naruto out the door, knowing that Sasuke would follow momentarily.

Before I got any farther down the hall though, something caught my attention.

"Sasuke?" It was Myri, calling after him.

I glanced once at Naruto who was stumbling his way down the hall and towards the stairs, and then stopped, backtracking until I was at the edge of the doorway, out of sight from anyone inside.

"Aren't you going to stay?" Myri continued.

"…No." Sasuke replied after a couple of moments of hesitation. His voice was close, meaning he was almost at the door.

"But remember last time? Stay," Myri asked, her tone turning both seductive and slightly pleading. Her voice seemed closer too, meaning she had made her way towards where he was standing.

I cringed, knowing full well what Sasuke could have done _last time_.

"…No." Sasuke replied, and I could tell with some disappointment, that there was a small amount of struggle, or conflict in his voice.

"Pleeeease, Sasuke? It was _so_ much fun."

A couple of thumps and a crash caught Sasuke's, Myri's and my attention and there was a brief pause before I tuned it out to hear Sasuke's response.

"I…" Sasuke started, and I bit my lip in suspense, "I… have a girlfriend."

Wait… what did that mean? Was it just an excuse to leave her there? Was it because he didn't want to lose the bet? Was it because he still felt obliged to Karin? Was it a reference to me?

I didn't hear Myri's answer as Sasuke walked out of the door just then, causing me to jump slightly in surprise.

Just the sight of him made my body go all tingly again, even though he seemed a _little_ annoyed that I had been eavesdropping.

But besides the annoyed look in his eyes, Sasuke's expression, as he started walking down the hall watching me, was dark, mysterious, and… uh… slightly…. hungry?

My stomach flipped ecstatically, but my heart beat nervously. Traces of ghost hands made me shiver in memory of what had happened in the closet. I turned around and started walking towards the stairs so I could avoid his gaze and the intense feelings I was having. If I had eyes on the back of my head I would have seen Myri leaning out the doorway, glowering at us as we walked away, and Sasuke… staring at my butt…

I finally reached the stairs and was about to go down until I saw Naruto.

"I… I think I'm paralyzed," the heap at the bottom of the stairs mumbled. I just sighed heavily; of course Naruto always had to make things more difficult.

Sasuke approached and stood beside me, looking down at Naruto. I was _very_ aware of how close he was standing and my stomach started twisting again.

"Idiot," Sasuke breathed, and gave the same tired sigh that I had moments before. We both made our way down the stairs and mutually helped Naruto up.

"Sasssssuke."

The whine came from the couch and we paused on our way to dragging Naruto out the door. I already knew who it was, Sasuke probably did too, but he turned anyways. I mean, she _was_ his responsibility.

"Sassssuke, where did you _gooooo_?" she asked, still in a whiny voice.

Sasuke whispered an annoyed '_Shit'_ to himself, and then said louder, "I'll be right back Karin."

The red head sighed a "Kay," and went back to her semi-conscious state on the couch.

"You guys are _so_ great," Naruto started as we dragged him across the lawn. "Just, _you guys_, you guys are the _best friends_ ever. _Sooooo_ great."

"Yeah, okay," I replied to Naruto, who probably didn't even know what he was saying.

"You guys are just the best. You are just…. Wait… did you say something?"

"No, Naruto," I answered, and readjusted his arm on my shoulder.

"Aw Sakura. You're just _so _great. Just so great," he drawled on. "You're just so _nice…_ and pretty… and just… _ so_ great." His head lulled back on his shoulders. "Woooowwww… Just _look_ at those stars… they're just… just…."

"So great?" Sasuke finished in monotone, sounding very annoyed. I smiled despite his sour attitude, and then flushed, once again, remembering the closet incident.

"Yeah… just… just _so great_."

We reached my car and Sasuke let go momentarily to grab the door. Ino, who had been sitting inside and buckled up contentedly, had been much easier to drag across the lawn in that she could somewhat walk and wasn't as heavy or inept or just _so great_ as Naruto. Sasuke took the blonde from me and practically threw him into the back seat beside Ino.

"Hey," the blonde protested. "No need… No need to be so… to be so… _fuck…_ fuckface," he finished illogically. "That was just… _not_…. so great…"

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "This… is what I deal with every other week," he muttered, trekking back inside to get Karin.

I reached into the car to buckle Naruto up much more gently than Sasuke had handled him and heard in the distance, Sasuke mutter a '_Fuck'_ from inside the house. Shortly after, Ino realized there was someone else in the car.

"Hey!" she said enthusiastically, "Naruto! What are you doing here?"

"Ino! Hey! I was just… at this party," he replied, just as happily.

"No waaaaaaaay, me too! How awwwwesome!"

"I know, I know, it's just… _so great!_"

I left the two to go fetch Ino's shoes. On the way inside I passed Sasuke, literally carrying Karin over one shoulder, who was whining, "Where did you _gooooo," _among other whiny, clingy, annoying phrases.

I smiled to myself briefly and then looked around for Ino's shoes. One was on the piano (_what?_) and one was more conveniently by the front door. I finally left the house for the last time and made my way to the car.

I got in the driver's seat just as Sasuke finished buckling up Karin. He walked around and got in the passengers seat, where after I did not hesitate to start the car and get the hell out of there.

Besides the three stooges in the back seat chattering on and off, the car was relatively silent. Sasuke and I were both quiet as I drove Karin home first (obviously), where he hulled her to the front door, and then Ino second (because she was being relatively annoying), where I took the turn to hull her to the front door.

Now it was just me, Sasuke, and Naruto, who may have just passed out in the back seat.

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Sasuke's POV

"Where are you going?" he asked suddenly, his voice still monotone.

"Uh," Sakura flickered her eyes to him and then back onto the road, "Going to your place… because you're closest?"

Sasuke was momentary silent. Yes, he was closest, but…

"…and Naruto?"

"Um… well, I was thinking maybe he could stay at your-"

"No." No way did he want to deal with Naruto and his own hangover in the morning.

"- oh… maybe I'll just take him to my-"

"Ch," Sasuke grunted as if the idea was amusing, intentionally cutting her off. She was not even going to _finish_ that sentence. Naruto was _not_ going to her place. "Drive Naruto home first," he started, staring out his window, "I'll get him in."

"Oh… okay…" Sakura replied, and turning the car around, muttered under her breath, "I guess my mom would have killed me if I did anyways…"

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"Does he have a key?" Sakura asked, pulling into Naruto's driveway.

"I got it," Sasuke answered, which was a complete lie. He just knew that Naruto was _not_ going to his place and _not _going to Sakura's.

She watched as he got out of the car and disappeared behind the house. He first looked around for any hiding spots in the backyard where a key could be hidden, and finding none, he started to deduce a way to get in.

The back of Naruto's house was just finishing getting renovated… meaning…

The windows. They were new and still partly covered in protective plastic. They wouldn't have there locks installed yet. At least, he hoped they didn't.

Testing his theory, Sasuke found that with a little budge, the window opened smoothly. He climbed in, trying to be as silent and stealthy as possibly, and was thankful that he knew Naruto's guardian was a heavy sleeper – how could he be silent and stealthy if he could barely walk a straight line?

Sasuke managed to get to the front door, open it, drag Naruto out of the car, through the house, up the stairs, and into his room in moderate quietness. He left him there, half-hanging off of his bed, and made his way back out to the car.

Sakura was waiting there, seeming a little paranoid. But of Naruto's guardian waking up? Of them getting in trouble? Of the dark?

Or of him?

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Sakura's POV

Sure, getting the three in the back seat home safely caused me some anxiety, but there was still the Sasuke factor to deal with. I mean, what would I do when we got to his house? We were alone now, no one was watching us, so we kind of have to do the whole _good-bye­ _thing. I mean, I couldn't just drive up to his house and he couldn't just get out of the car, not acknowledging anything that had happened that night.

Like, wouldn't he try to make a move or something? Would I end up getting groped again?

My thoughts were cut off by the Fuel-Level-Low beep and the flashing symbol on my dashboard that went with it.

"Um… I've just got to make… Is it alright if I make a small detour?… And get some gas…?" I asked hesitantly.

"Whatever," Sasuke replied, staring straight out the window.

I took that as a yes, and quickly reached the gas station and got out to fill the tank. Sasuke got out as well and went into the convenient store attached to it.

As I waited for the tank to fill I watched him through the glass windows as he bought something that I couldn't make out from this distance. Only when he walked outside, opened his purchase and place one in his mouth did I realized that he had bought a pack of cigarettes.

I pursed my lips as he lit one, not approving that he was going to smoke just before getting into my car - or that he was smoking at all. I ignored it, however, so that I could make the situation as least awkward as possible.

When the tank was full I made my way over to the convenient store, passing Sasuke who followed me with his dark eyes, simultaneously taking a drag. I paid for the gas, and walked out, Sasuke stubbing his cigarette and following me to the car.

As we drove to his house I rolled down the windows to air out the smell he brought in with him. Sasuke gave me a side-long glance but chose to say nothing. For some reason, my body started tingling all over again.

When I reached his house we both sat in the car for a while. I was unsure of what to say or do, or if Sasuke was going to do anything at all. I chose to keep my eyes out the front window just for safety.

Another couple of seconds and I finally looked at him. Sasuke had been staring out the window too, until he felt me staring and met my gaze.

"Um…" I started when, still, neither of us had made a move. My fingers clenched and unclenched the steering wheel nervously.

Then Sasuke determined that the best thing to do in the situation we were in was to just look me over, from head to toe. It seemed like forever, although it really only lasted for about two seconds. And on the way back up, his eyes decided to go on a little detour, focusing a little too long on… well… you know….

_That part_.

I felt the blood rush to my cheeks faster than he could avert his eyes. Okay, this _has_ to stop. Both the blushing and the…. eye-molesting.

And the _real_ molesting too.

Although, as embarrassing as it is to say… I may have enjoyed the last two…. but only a little…

As quickly as I was checked out by his wandering, dark, sexy, _evil_ eyes, Sasuke practically kicked the door open like it was the enemy, and _swaggered_ (I swear!) out of the car, his hands in his pockets.

So apparently he didn't have to say goodbye or discuss what just happened or even make a move on me – correction of a false allegation: he _could_ just walk out, not saying anything. Not even a 'thanks for driving my drunken butt home'. God (Buddha?). How rude.

So, while dealing with my disappointment, I watched as Sasuke made his way to the front door, making sure that he got in okay.

He was still _sauntering_ to the front when, low and behold, the famous, Mr. badass, Mr. 'I'm-just-so-good-at-everything-I-do', Mr. 'always on his game', took a bad step due to his current oxygen-deprived brain, and briefly stumbled on the porch step, losing his balance and only regaining it when he grabbed the wall for support.

I couldn't help myself – I started laughing – It was just… just…

_So great_.

Forgetting that the windows were down from trying to air out my car, Sasuke clearly heard me. He turned around so his back was leaning against the wall he had used for support, and then flipped me off.

But there it was – that playful glint in his eyes again. The one that was present when he _poked_ me and told me that I sucked at acting (well, _I_ thought I did a good job…).

I stifled my laugh, I guess to appease him, but couldn't keep away the smile.

He kept his eyes on me still, his lips twitching slightly – was he trying to suppress a smirk?

Or did he just really want the cigarette he was now taking out of his pocket…

Hmph. Oh well, whatever, I'll leave him to smoke on his own outside his house.

Giving an awkward sort of wave, I pulled out of the driveway and drove home.

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Sasuke's POV

Sasuke took another drag of his cigarette and exhaled slowly, ignoring the abnormally fast beating of his heart as he watched her give an awkward wave and drive away.

He waited a few moments once she was out of sight, turned to the front door, and stared at it blankly.

The cigarette, now held loosely between his lips, was just to stall.

Truth was, _he_ didn't have a key either.

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The next morning Myri woke up in her room, unsatisfied with the night before and the guy beside her; Karin awoke at noon and spent the following two hours hugging the toilet bowl in her bathroom; Ino woke up with a vague memory of the events of the night before and skipped lunch in that she didn't think she could stomach it; Naruto, upon awakening, found himself on the ground in his kitchen, wondering how the hell he had gotten there; Sasuke awoke to Sarah snuggling into his chest and wondered why it was so cold and why he didn't have any covers; Hinata woke up early, ready to meet Sakura at Starbucks like they had planned, and Sakura had awoken groggily to her mother tapping her foot angrily at her bedroom door wondering where the hell she had been, why the hell she had gotten home at three in the morning, and why the mark on her neck looked very similar to a hickey.


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N**

**Hey guys, sorry about the wait, I had most of the chapter done and then school started and then I was SWAMPED with work, and then I tried writing it again but I was having a really hard time (and I've also been kind of working on another story – not fanfiction - on the side) and I'm not sure when or how fast the next chapter is going to be up...**

***sigh* excuses, excuses… **

**Well, this one is up, I hope you like it.**

**And sorry if I haven't been answering your emails or questions. I'm really busy and also if you asked a specific question about the story or plot, I may not have answered for a reason that I didn't want to reveal anything or give anything away.**

**And to the flamers: it's funny cuz I know you're going to read this anyways.**

**To the reviewers: THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!!!! You guys really kept me going on this. And don't worry, this story will not be discontinued, it will still keep going… just very very slowly… lol**

**To my beta: You are a very awesome person. Lol**

**To the people who pm'****d me: I'm sorry for not responding, and thanks so much for supporting me and everything, I really owe it to you guys!**

**Okay, here we go.**

Sakura's POV

I twitched out of sleep – the type of waking that happens when there's some sort of disturbance, like you hear a sound, and your consciousness is in that place in between. Where you hear a voice and you stir and jerk once, then jerk twice when it happens again, and then open your eyes, confused, and by the time you sit up in bed you forget whatever you were thinking about before, or whatever dream you were just having.

And by the time I sat up I was fully aware of what was going on.

"Sakura."

It was that tone of voice used when talking to a misbehaving dog. The dog that's trained to slink away with its tail between its legs when it recognizes the quality of its name.

Along with it came the persistent tapping of a foot on thin carpet.

"Sakura." Same tone, just a little louder than before. My mother stared at me from my doorway, head tilted downwards, her eyes looking at me with what seemed like disappointment. However, I knew better. I was in for an ass-whuppin.

"Hi… mom…" I answered shortly, awkwardly.

"Sakura," she said for the third time since I had awoken. I rubbed my eyes unnecessarily, only to divert them from straying to her stone cold face. "Would you like to tell me where the hell you've been all night?" This tone she used was surprisingly calm, but it didn't fool me. She was like a lawyer: she could use the right techniques to make you lie or to make you feel guilty or to make you squirm under her gaze and inquiries, and then, before you know it, you've walked right into her trap.

The easiest way to deal with it is to just go with the flow. Trying to fight back is playing with fire.

"Um… I was out." I replied, still short, still awkward.

"Out where?"

"At a party…"

"A party?" She raised her eyebrows and I tried not to wince, knowing I was right in the palm of her hand. "Did you tell me you were going to a party?"

"…No… But usually it's not a big deal… going out…. With friends… usually…" I started fiddling with the blanket still draped over my legs.

"Not a big deal? Do you think coming home at three in the morning is not a big deal? That having your mother not knowing where the hell you were all night is not a big deal?"

Crap. She's using my own words. She even gestured quotation marks around them.

"Uh… I guess I should have said something to you…" I'm not going to mention that I told dad where I was going. Not with her.

"You guess? Well, _I_ guess that you have some explaining to do."

"Yeah…"

She raised an eyebrow.

"Um… I went… to a party. But I didn't do anything… I was just a designated driver…"

"You didn't do anything, did you?" Crap. Another bad response.

"…No…"

"Then would you like to explain to me why the _hell_ you have that on your neck?"

"Uh…" A hickey?! CRAP. I didn't know that was there.

It must have been from…

Sasuke….

In the closet….

Images raced through my head and certain parts of me started to tingle. I lifted my hand to my neck, unsure of where such a mark was, but felt comforted that it just might be covered up.

"Sakura." There it was again, that tone of voice. If only I were a dog and _could_ just slink away.

"…We played spin the bottle… that's all…" I felt the flush creeping up my neck and to my cheeks. You're not supposed to talk to your mom about these sorts of things…

"Spin the bottle is something, Sakura." Her voice rose with each sentence she spoke.

"Well, I didn't think…"

"Were you lying to me, then, Sakura?"

"No…"

"But you said you did nothing."

"Yeah… but…"

"Are you lying about anything else?"

"No…"

"How can I be sure?"

"I don't know…"

"You don't know?" She raised her eyebrows again, false surprise in her voice.

"No…" Ugh; I felt like I was five again. Or worse. And what gives her the right to know what I was doing with my friends, anyways?

"I think we could maybe start by having you grounded for the week."

"But Mom-" Ooohhhh. Don't reply, Sakura. Talking back is never good with mom.

"And then take away your cell phone privileges."

"My cell phone doesn't have anything to do-" Gah! Shut your mouth Sakura!

"Did you have your cell phone last night?"

"…yes…" Crap. She already got me.

"And could you have called me?"

"…yes…"

"And did you?"

"No…"

"Then what makes you think I can trust you with one if you aren't going to use it properly?"

I stayed silent, looking down at my hands which were wringing childishly in my lap.

"Sakura?" She pressed when I didn't answer.

"I'm sorry…" I replied. I used the tone of voice that meant I was sorry for _everything_. Even if I wasn't.

My mom got the message, "Sorry for what?" She persisted, and I wanted to do nothing more than stomp up to her and slam the door in her face; Inner Sakura even wanted to scream 'DIE BITCH' at the same time.

Still, it was frustrating. Not only did I have a headache from the little amount of sleep I got, but I got one on _top _of that one from having this conversation with my mom.

"I'm sorry," I answered, and then expanded, "For being irresponsible and for not thinking. Ino and I should have been home at a more reasonable hour and shouldn't have kept you worrying like that. I understand the consequences and take responsibility for my actions…"

The only good thing about having these conversations so many times is that I know exactly what to say in the 'sorry speech'. And it's always good to involve Ino – my mom and her get along super well. They're both really into fashion and literally have full conversations about red carpet dresses or the latest celebrity style winners and losers, do's and don't's.

My mom seemed to contemplate my answer in her head before saying, "Good, I forgive you then, but you are still grounded."

"Okay," I said, and let her walk away to cool off somewhere, hoping my dad wasn't going to be anywhere in her line of fire. Although completely bummed about being grounded, I was momentarily elated: she forgot all about my-

"Oh and Sakura, I'll have your cell phone now." She said, popping her head back into my room.

Damn it. I hoped she forgot about that.

"Kay…" I got out of bed slowly and reluctantly found my purse and gave her my new, pretty, cell phone that Puriti had gotten to me. Bye-bye Chemistry room booty calls.

Finally my mom left the room for the last time.

Ugh.

_Bitch._

I hate her so much sometimes. Oh well, at least that one went a lot better – my dad didn't get involved, there was no yelling, screaming, or crying on my part, and I was only grounded for a week, which really isn't _that_ bad.

Except…

Shit. I'm supposed to meet Hinata at Starbucks in five minutes.

And I'm supposed to go to Sasuke's today to work on our science project (insert tingly feeling here).

Okay, well first lets just make a quick call to the guys and tell them to relocate our rendezvous to my place (eek, Sasuke in my house!) and then I'll call Hinata and fix that problem.

So I found the house phone (sigh, not my cell phone), and called Naruto. His guardian answered and I left a message with him. Then I called Sasuke.

Sasuke's POV

Turns out there wasn't a smart way to open the door.

Turns out, Sasuke was too drunk and too tired to even begin a search to even try and open the door.

So at the time it seemed like an okay idea, even though being totally inebriated did cloud his judgment substantially: after putting out his cigarette, he tripped around the mansion once to find a possible way in, and after concluding that there wasn't one, the doormat started to look pretty comfy.

Almost… pillow like.

And _no_, it didn't occur to him that he could have climbed in the way he usually climbs _out_ of his room (although he probably couldn't even make it up the back porch steps then…), _no_ it didn't occur to him that he could call someone since he had a working cell phone, and _no_ it didn't occur to him that maybe the lawn chairs by the pool, or Sarah's trampoline in the backyard could provide more comfort than a doormat.

To him, last night, the house was empty and impenetrable. And the doormat seemed particularly homey.

Which is why he woke up, wondering why it was so cold, why he didn't have any covers, and, upon opening his eyes…

Why… was he on the front porch?

Then movement near his chest caught his attention, which brought up another question:

Why…

…was Sarah on the front porch too?

Yes, it was those three thoughts that entered his mind first. The lack of covers, his location on the porch… and Sarah… on the front steps as well… beside him… sleeping…?

It wasn't the boob incident (which is how he was now and would soon refer to it), it wasn't that he had literally walked out on Myri and her… proposal (and it was _Myri_. It takes a lot of will power to do such an act as Sasuke did), it wasn't that he would start to get this funny feeling when he thought of, cough, erm, paper towel girl, nor was it that he would soon receive word of her and then make a rather bold decision. And it also wasn't the painful crick in his neck or the blinding sun in his eyes or the pounding headache that caused him to reach for non existent covers so he could roll over and go back to sleep until he realized that he was still on his front porch and had slept there the whole night…

No, it was the lack of covers, his location on the porch and Sarah snuggled up to his chest.

The girl in question stirred in her sleep. As Sasuke sat up, rolling his shoulders and quietly cursing, bringing his hand up to shield his eyes from the light that seemed way too strong, Sarah opened her eyes. She yawned, scratched her head, sat up as well, and said, quite casually, "Good morning sleepy head."

In a moment of confusion, as he was still on his front porch and Sarah had been sleeping beside him (for how long?) and he had _just_ started thinking of the seven secondary thoughts previously mentioned, Sasuke replied back, his voice husky from just waking: "Good morning."

Then blinked once, as such generic greetings are highly uncharacteristic of him.

He looked down at Sarah still disordered and slightly puzzled, then back to the front porch, shook his head once, blinked again, and then decided he should go grab some extra strength Tylenol for his hangover and his neck.

So Sasuke stood up abruptly, holding the ache near his shoulders, and entered the front door (which was now, somehow, open) and Sarah hurried to follow him.

"Wanna hear about my dream?" She asked, keeping stride and smiling up at him.

"No."

"Well, I was in this magical land of squirrels and I really wanted ice cream so I went to this ice cream shop but all they had was frozen yogurt! Can you believe it?"

"No."

"So I say to the ice cream man, 'Where's your ice cream?' and he says 'Ice cream? Little girl that's all the way over there!' So you know what I have to do?"

"No."

"I had to take a taxi all the way to the other side of the street! And when I finally got to the _real_ ice cream store, I couldn't get in because there was an _alligator_ selling the ice cream! Can you believe it?"

"No."

"Boy, let me tell you…"

And Sarah continued her long, adventurous tale laced with magic and squirrels as Sasuke tuned her out and walked to the kitchen where he filled a tall glass with water and fetched two extra strength Tylenols from one of the cupboards.

After taking both pills he opened the fridge and took the closest piece of food out, which happened to be half of a pre-made submarine sandwich. Being thankful that he wasn't feeling too nauseous from the previous night's events, he took a seat on the counter and proceeded to eat his breakfast, completely zoning out.

It wasn't Sarah and her whining, or the explanation of her dream that caught Sasuke's attention; it wasn't the way she was trying to climb the counter or even that she was whining about how she couldn't get on the counter – what snapped him out of his daze was the harsh-for-a-hangover ring of the phone.

Sarah gave up trying to climb the counter and ran full speed to the telephone.

"Hello, you've reached the Carter house, this is Princess Sarah speaking; how may I help you?" She asked in a calm, trained voice. Sasuke listened as Sarah continued her conversation (with whom? And why?), "Hi!... yeah… Nope, he's busy eating a sandwich… wanna come over and play on my trampoline?... but it will be so much fun… aw, okay…Okay!... wow, superfantabulous... Uh-huh… okay… okay, love you darling, buh-bye!"

Sasuke stared at his sister as she made her way back over to him.

She looked at him innocently, "What?"

"Who was that?" asked Sasuke, knowing that six-year olds don't usually answer and maintain phone calls with random people on a regular basis. Plus the conversation had partly been about him, what with the sandwich reference and all.

"Oh, just my new best friend."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow.

"Gosh do I have to explain everything?"

Sasuke's silence was her answer. If she had seen the look on his face she would have realized that he had zoned out again.

"Sakura called," she started to explain, and Sasuke tried to make his sudden attention casual, "and she asked if you were there and I said you were busy eating a sandwich because you were, and then she said okay, then I asked her if she wanted to come over and play on my trampoline but she said she couldn't because she was grounded so then we talked about some stuff – don't worry Sasuke, its just a girl thing – and then she asked me to tell you that she couldn't come over to work on science today because she was grounded and that all you guys should come over to her place instead, at the same time you usually would have gotten together, and then we talked some more and then she said that she had to go so then I said okay, love you darling, buh-bye."

Sarah, finished with her story, started breathing heavily to catch her breath.

Sasuke, paused in thought, took another bite of his sandwich.

Did he really want to go to Sakura's? He could just pretend he never got the message – because, with everything taken account for (he didn't know how she would react to the previous night's events, he may have to encounter her mom, etc, etc) he could just _not _go…

…Ch.

He was wasting his own time even asking himself that question.

"Sasuke?" Sarah asked, bringing him out of his thoughts, "Have you seen Muffin?"

Muffin…

The real question is, 'When _hasn't_ he seen Muffin?" Of course, not this morning, in that he was catching some z's on the front porch, but Sarah's new cat – the fluffy white ball that Sarah had dressed in a pink ribbon, that would have been named 'Birthday Cake,' because it was caught eating desserts left out on the counter, had Marie not subtly dissuaded the idea– seemed to take a liking to Sasuke. Actually, that's an understatement. '_Muffin'_ liked to follow Sasuke around everywhere. _Everywhere_. She liked to cuddle up to him when he sat down, rub against his legs when he stood still, play with his laces when he had running shoes on – it's a good thing the cat didn't know how to climb ladders or Sasuke would wake up every morning covered in cat hair.

Naruto, upon seeing Muffin for the first time, cuddling up to Sasuke who was on his couch watching TV and ignoring the animal, had laughed hysterically and only managed to choke out the words,

"Dude. Is that your _cat_?"

"No." Sasuke had replied, pushing Muffin away. Unfortunately, Muffin thought this was some sort of game and started pawing at Sasuke's fingers. Naruto laughed even harder and Sasuke, frustrated, picked Muffin up in one hand, walked (stomped) past Naruto to the door to his room, set her (gently) outside and closed the door. He walked past Naruto again, glaring, and sat back on the couch.

No, it wasn't his cat.

And no, he hadn't seen Muffin.

"No." Sasuke answered. Although that probably wouldn't be the case in a couple of minutes, when Muffin would eventually find out he was in the house. As always.

"Oh. She probably got lost again… I'll go find her," Sarah replied, and started running out of the kitchen.

She paused for a moment when she reached the threshold, "Oh, and Sakura also asked me to tell you to be careful on your way out the door 'cause you wouldn't want to trip again," and then raced off to find Muffin.

Sasuke slid off the counter and made his way to his room to shower and dress, a small smirk at the edge of his lips despite the scowl on his face just moments before and the hangover harassing his head.

Sakura's POV

Dear diary/God/Buddha/Whatever,

Gah! I told Hinata. Everything. It's okay though, really. I threatened her into not telling anyone.

Well, not really threatened, I just told her that if she spilled the beans, then I'd post the video that Ino and I found on an old camera she brought to school for one of her classes, of her, age 8; dancing at a backstreet boys concert – very cute, I don't know why she's so embarrassed by it : )

See, I had called her, apologized, explained my privilege-less situation, asked if she would like to come over to my house (warning her of the possible land mines storming about with my precious cell phone in possession), and begged her to pick me up a Grande Skinny Vanilla Latte on the way out of Starbucks.

So she came to my house, I paid her back for the latte, we made it to my room with no mother-related interferences, and that's where she asked me why I was grounded.

So then I started to embarrassingly explain last night – Ino getting drunk, the drive home and how late it was.

And then she asked me, with a blush, why I had a hickey on my neck (which I _have_ to remember to cover up), so I started to explain all the details I missed before – spin the bottle, Myri, Sasuke in the closet, what happened on the drive home.

_And then_ she asked me – after I apologized a thousand times for kissing Naruto, telling her I didn't like him and that it was just for the game, and that is was so awkward and weird and how discomforting it was for the both of us – don't worry, she soon forgave me – _why_ the situation happened with Sasuke in the first place and all that jazz.

So then, I gave in. I explained what had happened ever since Naruto started the bet – the texting, the kissing, the cat-shopping, everything. And after I explained all of that, I had to explain everything that had happened _before_ the bet had started – although she knew most of that anyways.

Basically, I dictated my whole love-life to Hinata, from start to present, in a span of ten minutes. The two minutes that followed (the laughing, the squealing, the "oh-my-god"-ing) made us look like twelve-year old Jonas Brothers fans. And as it came to a close, I had to make her promise (with the threat included) that she couldn't tell anyone – especially Naruto – about what I had told her. Not until the bet had finished or something _actually_ happened between Sasuke and I.

Speaking of Sasuke…

Sasuke's POV

Sasuke knocked on the Haruno's front door, silently hoping that it wasn't Sakura's mom who would answer.

Luckily it was her dad who answered the door.

After letting him in and introducing himself, saying he worked for his mom etc, etc, he called up to Sakura saying that Sasuke had arrived and then excused himself to his office.

After a couple of minutes, when Sakura still hadn't come down (well, he _did_ purposefully arrive twenty minutes early), he decided that he would go up. Because he wasn't going to wait for her all day… and no one was looking.

However, upon entering her room, Sasuke found Naruto's girlfriend – Hinata? – not Sakura, sitting on the bed.

The two silently stared at each other, one's face going extremely red. Noise from the connected bathroom caught both of their attention.

"I mean, I can't believe he's here already," It was Sakura's voice, sounding frantic and flustered, as usual. "And… gah! I still have to put on my makeup!" There were small clatters and bangs and then Sakura popped her head out of the washroom, a straightener and brush in either hand, "Hinata-"

Only to spot Sasuke, standing at her doorway, seeing her in all of her half-straightened-hair, bare-faced, pajama clothed glory.

She uttered a small, surprised, terrified 'eek' and hid back inside the bathroom.

Sakura's POV

… He's here. In my room. And he saw me all disheveled and half-ready and flustered while Hinata sat awkwardly on my bed.

"Uh…" I choked on my words and then managed to spit out, "I'll… I'll be out in a minute!"

Oh my god. Why is he here? He's like, twenty minutes early! And I'm barely even dressed!

Okay, stay calm. I'll just finish getting ready, finish straightening my hair, put on my makeup and all that, and then… go get my clothes…

"Um… S-Sakura? I think… I'm going to g-g-go now…" Hinata called to me, and I called back a good-bye and a sorry and a 'thanks' for the latte. I heard her exit my bedroom and felt bad that she had to leave so suddenly and awkwardly. But I knew she understood the situation – heck, I just explained it to her only a half hour ago. Now I had to hurry up in here while Sasuke waited outside.

I quickly finished my hair, settling for a ponytail since it wasn't entirely straight. Then I quickly did my makeup, which was easy since it was really only the basics – and some cover up for the extremely dark circles under my eyes (no thanks to the party animals last night). Finished in the bathroom, there were only my clothes to deal with.

Silently, awkwardly, I exited my bathroom, and quickly walked to my dresser, glancing briefly at Sasuke who was leaning against the doorframe with a hint of impatience in his eyes. I grabbed the first pair of shorts I could find and did the same with a tank-top (luckily it was the one that Sasuke indirectly said he liked), and rushed back to the bathroom, starting to blush.

I got dressed in record time and then gave myself a once-over in the mirror, making sure I looked good – but not _too _good, so that I looked like I was trying just for him.

I exited the bathroom for the last time and found Sasuke still leaning against the doorframe of the entrance to my room. Instead of awkwardly standing there by my bathroom, I made my way to my bed and nervously sat down, my eyes looking everywhere but him.

My peripheral vision caught Sasuke quietly kicking the door shut and then also making his way to my bed, taking a seat beside me.

After a moment of silence I stated, in hopes of some answers, "Um… you're early…"

"Hn…" He replied. I glanced at him to gauge his expression just as he turned his head to look down at me.

After a split second I looked away quickly, while he, in a much more casual manner, turned his gaze to the rest of my room, where I'm guessing he took in his surroundings.

My assumption was correct; leaning back on his hands he said in a slow monotone, "It's very… pink."

"…yeah…" I replied, unsure of anything else to say.

"…and… green." he continued, and for an instant I was reminded of the mysterious Facebook message I received from him, the 'pink or green' one. I pushed it to the back of my mind, since I don't know if he remembers or if he's ever going to bring that up, or if he even _wants _it to be brought up. Talking to Sasuke is like treading in deep water – because it's actual _talking_.

"…yeah…" I repeated. If you count our short, one word sentences _talking_.

He stood up – not suddenly, but not expected – and circled my room slowly, getting a more detailed look at its contents. He wasn't being nosy or anything, he was just walking… and looking. Except for when he would periodically stop in front of the clusters of pictures that adorned my walls – magazine cut outs, pictures of me as a kid, pictures of me and my friends, just… plain embarrassing pictures.

"Um…" I started when he, with his hands in his pockets and his usual indifference, was looking at some of the silly ones of me and my friends. I got off my bed and walked over to him in hopes of taking his attention away from those really embarrassing pictures. "Those… that was a long time ago…" I stated, and laughed nervously to fill the silence that followed, even if they were pictures from only a year or two ago.

He peered closely at one, probably to embarrass me – as it was Ino, Hinata and I making stupid faces at the camera (well, maybe not Hinata so much).

"They're stupid, really," I continued.

He raised an eyebrow, still looking at the same picture.

"Uh," I giggled nervously again and stepped in between Sasuke and the pictures, blocking his view, "Maybe, we could just _not_ look at those… or something…" I felt my face flushing as Sasuke looked down at me. I wrung my hands uneasily.

Then Sasuke took his hand and slowly brought it to settle on one of my hips. We both watched as the other one did the same on the other side. I looked up to him, meeting his gaze. He pulled me closer, then turned us around, and then…

...he pushed me out of the way.

"She was at the party last night." He stated, turning back to the picture he was just looking at and pointing at Ino. I mentally huffed, wanting to hit him over the head as he looked at me for confirmation.

"Yes." I grumbled.

"Hn. Didn't see much of her," he continued, "What's her name?"

I didn't see his hidden smirk, so I answered back annoyed, "Ino, shouldn't you know that?"

I mean what the hell? Wasn't he just flirting with her just a week ago, trying to make me jealous? And _why_ is he even asking about _her_? "And for _your_ information," I continued, getting angry, "she was –"

"Who's that guy?" he asked, interrupting me and pointing at another picture in the same cluster.

"Uh…" I found where his finger was pointing and my anger drained back to nervousness. "That's... uh... Moji..."

"Hn..." He replied. Ugh, I should have taken that picture down – I only kept it because it was a really good picture of me, I swear it wasn't for sentimental reasons (since Moji's an ass…). It was me in grade 8, sitting beside Moji who had his arm around me. Ino and two other girls from elementary school were sitting with us as well, in a restaurant. However, neither of them were sitting as close as Moji and I…

"You look… comfy." He said, and I really hoped that it wasn't just my imagination hearing the hint of jealousy in his voice.

"That was… a long time ago too…" I answered, and then felt the need, an impulse, to say, "He's my… ex-boyfriend."

Sasuke looked at me with his eyebrows raised slightly.

"No shit," he said in an almost disbelieving tone. I was confused by his response, but little did I know that at the time Sasuke was having some sort of revelation dating back to his cruise on Christmas Break.

"Uh… _yeah_," I retorted, thinking the disbelieving tone had to do with the fact that he didn't believe that I had a boyfriend.

Then his expression turned into a scowl, and again, unbeknownst to me at the time, he had another sort of revelation – this one dating back to only yesterday when he was on his date with Karin.

In the short silence that followed I realized that if Sasuke continued to look at my pictures then eventually he would reach a cluster of more recent pictures of me... and a certain blonde… Again, they weren't really for sentimental reasons, they were pictures of me and Naruto at the Katana concert or various dates from way back when… which also happened to be when we were a couple… and standing very close to each other… and…maybeevenkissing…

So I don't think Sasuke – nor I – would be very happy if he saw that. But Sasuke kept looking through the pictures; smirking at some, raising his eyebrows at others (while I was watching him, mortified), and he was getting closer and closer to the pictures of Naruto. So… how do I distract him?

The first thing that came to mind was to flirt. Or be seductive. Or do something along those lines. I mean, he's Sasuke. That would distract him enough, or at least occupy his attention. But do I even _know_ how to do that?

"Right, back to _not _looking at my pictures," I said, and squeezed into the space between him and the wall for the second time. He looked down at me with an annoyance that wasn't fair – why is he be annoyed at me when he's the one creeping my pictures?

"Um…" I tried to think of something to say, which is almost impossible when I'm looking him in the eyes. How do I be flirty? What do all of those magazines say to do?

Ah, I know.

Eye contact.

So, in an attempt to be flirty, I half-lidded my eyes – doing that thing that all of those Jane Austin novels do where the girl looks up through her lashes in what is an apparently becoming and feminine way. Then again, maybe I shouldn't use flirting tips from the early 1800's…

Sasuke raised an eyebrow.

"They're… just… stupid…" I said weakly, trying to regain some of my composure, trying to smile. "They're not really… important…"

Ugh, could I say anything more stupid? Okay, so I made eye contact. What next? I guess that would be something physical, what with him being so close and all. Plus, I needed to do something physical to make up for my lack of verbal prowess.

So I lifted a finger to run down his chest, because that's really flirty, right? Except I chickened out part way through and ended just putting my palm flat against him. GAH – how am I supposed to be seductive!?

Okay…. Let's try moving over to the bed… that'll get him far enough away from the pictures… a change of location is good… and then there's the added bonus of the possibility of making out…

My first thought was to slowly push him back to the bed with the hand on his chest – giving him some sort of flirty look – or maybe mention for him to lead us there– but my hand was still on his chest, should I do something with that?

With Sasuke still staring down at me I realized I was taking up too much time and making room for awkward silence, so with nothing else to do I acted without really thinking. I took a deep breath, overwhelmed with the butterflies in my stomach, and…

… patted his chest a couple of times with the hand that was already resting on it.

…wait…

…uh…why did I do that!?

I mean who does that? What am I supposed to do now?

I darted my eyes around the room, catching his raised eyebrow. Crap, do something quick, Sakura.

I took another deep breath. Let's try to be honest, maybe make a joke out of it, maybe he won't think of me as the freak I'm acting out to be. "Okay," I started awkwardly. I could feel my face starting to flush. "I… uh… don't really know why I did that…" Giggling nervously, I looked up to see his expression…

…

Yup, he does think I'm a freak. Both eyebrows are raised now, and his blank stare is pretty much saying the rest.

Then… why do I feel very warm hands taking hold of my waist…

"Sakura," he started slow and low, "If you just want to make out with me," I could hear the cockiness creep into his voice, "all you have to do is ask."

For a second there, I got really annoyed. I took in a deep breath and was about to retort with something about him being a pompous asshole (well, not in such a forward way), when one of those warm hands pulled me closer, and the other one slid up to my back and I sort of forgot what I was going to say.

"Uh… well… if you really want to then I guess that's, um, okay…" I replied, wincing at how stupid I sounded.

"Hn," Sasuke replied with the subtle hints of a smirk on his lips, and turned us around, moving towards my bed.

He let me drop onto the mattress first before moving over top of me, muttering a 'ch, wierdo' under his breath – which I heard, and might I add he's about to make out with this weirdo, thank you very much.

And this weirdo can be flirty and seductive, okay? All I have to do…

…is figure out how to do that first…

Just for a second here, let's pretend that Sakura isn't as nervous and inexperienced as she actually is and can actually initiate a kiss or something like that. Let's just pretend that I know what I'm doing and maybe everything will work out…

I tentatively placed my hands on his shoulders.

Sasuke, taking his own cue to lead, replaced his hands on my hips. I pretended to give a short laugh to hide the shivers that went through my spine.

You know what? I bet you that this was what Sasuke planned all along. He came over early to have some alone time before Naruto came over. And alone time for Sasuke is purely physical.

So I tilted my chin up towards him, trying to start a kiss that would be all seductive and sexy and would kick Myri's butt. It's just, I don't know how to do that, and I don't recall any magazines telling me how to do that. So it's a good thing that Sasuke took the lead again.

Only seconds after we started kissing, Sasuke moved one of the hands on my hips to hold the back of my neck. The other stayed put but pressed us embarrassingly close together. Well, _I _thought it was embarrassing. Sasuke… seemed to like it.

As he continued to lead the kiss I struggled to hold some dominance – to maintain that flirtiness or sexiness or whatever I was trying to do before. So for the second time I brought my hand out to run along his chest, and both of our eyes were closed so it was a little less intimidating. At the same time I timidly tried to nip his lip.

However after I initiated each of those actions, Sasuke suddenly became unresponsive.

I was scared at first, wondering if I was doing something he didn't like, or if I was doing something wrong or if he was just losing interest. But then, after I pulled back to see him rolling his eyes, I felt like an idiot again.

"Sakura," he said tiredly, as if I was a little kid who had done something wrong for the tenth time in a row. I stared back at him, trying to disguise the fear on my face. "What are you doing?" he asked in that same tone.

I suddenly felt childish – like I _was_ the little kid who had done something wrong for the tenth time.

"Um…" I started, "Being, er, seductive? Or… at least trying to…" I replied sheepishly. "I don't know…"

He rolled his eyes and I tried to look everywhere but him.

"Hn," there was a sudden smirk on his face, and in an instant he had flipped us over, bringing his lips a hairs breadth from my ear. "If you want to be seductive…" he began, sliding his hands back to my waist, "you should try something a little more… _daring,_" and on the last word his hands slid around to my backside, and suddenly pressed our bodies together again.

Okay, so, Sasuke just grabbed my butt. Actually, he's grab_bing_ my butt. His hand's still there, and it's still holding us in place. So not only are we _extreeeeeemely _close now, but he's working on moving the borders back a little.

And he's getting away with it…

I mean, it's not like he just grabbed my boob like he did last night… and as I quickly glanced at him I saw that he was watching me. I'm pretty sure he was trying to gauge my expression…

And I did kind of like it…

So I ducked my head down into the crook of his neck, waiting for him to continue and take over again, pretending to not really notice that he just pushed the borders, pretending that it was okay for him to do that…

Shortly after, while I was tense and blushing furiously, extremely embarrassed with our modified position, Sasuke started kissing, _nipping_, the sides of my neck, my cheeks, even all the way down to my collar bone (which _is_ pretty low considering the top I was wearing). His hands started to roam, moving from my butt to my thighs, to my sides, across my stomach, on my back, in my hair. Once again Sasuke had complete dominance, and I had no control. The only resistance I had against him was the ability to weakly order (… alright, _ask_) him to try and not give me another hickey.

Eventually I realized that this was another one of Sasuke's games. Not since he had flipped us over had he actually kissed me on the lips. It was then that I started to get anxious. I mean, there are times that I like Sasuke flustering me, and there are times that I don't – not that this is either of them – it's just this time it wasn't the flustering that was getting to me. I felt the _need_ to actually kiss him, and it felt… different. Different in the way that I usually just go with the flow with Sasuke – I let him lead and me follow, I don't ask I just receive, I don't even _try_ I just let him do what he wants. But this time it was what _I _wanted. And I really, _really_ wanted to kiss Sasuke.

Maybe it was because I had just reached my fluster-limit or something like that, or maybe it was the way he was holding me so close…

Either way, I turned my head to the side, inhaling deeply to catch my breath. Sasuke continued his line of fire across my neck. "Sas…" I tried, and then cleared my throat, trying to get his name out.

"Mmm," Sasuke replied, which I think was a "Hn,' except his mouth was pressed to my skin. I shivered despite how incredibly hot it was getting, feeling the hum of the sound against my neck.

"…Just…" I began breathlessly, "Just… kiss me…"

In return, Sasuke's pace slowed significantly. He seemed to pause, as if thinking, suavely repeated his 'all you have to do is ask' phrase, before finally bringing his head up to kiss me.

This one was slow and deep. Sasuke pressed us so close together that I could feel every inch of his body against mine. And finally, when he loosened his hold a bit, I was able to gain enough confidence to bring my hands up to his chest, to give him some… feedback.

I wasn't necessarily _trying_ to please him, it was simply for my own purposes that I started tracing his abdomen with my fingers. And I wasn't _trying_ to do anything that would… compromise the pleasant make-out session we were having… it's not like I really noticed my hands were _that_ close to the hem of his pants… I mean, it's not like I _meant_ to put them that far down, nor trace them as… sensually… as Sasuke found it… I was just moving my fingers along his waist… against his bare skin… multiple times…

Sasuke's hands suddenly shot out and caught both of mine in response, holding them where they were. His body had tensed and I froze too, once again scared and nervous that I had done something wrong, especially since his eyes were closed, a slight frown in his expression… because I _swear_ I didn't know…

His eyes opened, piercing now, just as his small grimace turned into a small smirk. "Sakura," he murmured in an incredibly sexy voice. Then he chuckled the tiniest bit – something which would have confused me had I not been so nervous at the time. "Unless you want things to go to the next level, I suggest you relocate your… ministrations to somewhere… higher up." And then, always looking for a chance to fluster me, he loosened his grip on my hands and continued, "But by all means, do as you please."

I couldn't have been more embarrassed. Yes, in a way it's extremely gratifying that I know that I could do, and just did, _that_ to Sasuke, but it was also extremely, extremely mortifying (though kudos to him, for remembering _and _mentioning the borders).

Anyways, as the revelation hit I could feel my face gradually getting a deeper and deeper shade of red. My hand, which was now free from his grasp, went to cover my eyes as I mumbled a 'sorry' to him.

And then – there it was – that chuckle again, a deep, rich, sexy sound that passed through the closed lips of his smirk. Shortly after, he bent down and kissed me again.

However, before anything else could happen – before I could respond to the kiss, before I could ask him what he thought was so funny, before I could even close my eyes – my dad called up from downstairs, informing us that Naruto was here.

I jumped at my dad's voice while Sasuke seemed unfazed. However, at the sudden end of our kiss, he had let out a small groan.

"Uh," I sprang up from my bed, frantic and nervous, leaving Sasuke still lying down, looking rather disappointed. Had we lost track of time that easily? Had Naruto arrived early? What would he think if Sasuke was here and no work was done (and if I had a hickey)?

With my face beat red, I got off the bed. Quickly pacing, clenching and unclenching my fists, I tried to think of something to do. Sasuke was watching me from the bed, looking quite amused.

"Sasuke," I turned to him, getting an idea. He had already gotten himself standing. "Go to my computer – pretend we were doing research or something!"

He didn't so much reply as he lazily walked to my computer with a bored, slightly smug look on his face.

I left to book it down the stairs, but before I could reach the door, Sasuke cleared his throat, catching my attention. I turned back to him, my eyes still wide and panicky.

"You might want to…" He took one of his hands and briefly motioned to the area around his neck. This action could have potentially saved my life.

"Oh, right," I exclaimed, running to the bathroom, and did a quick scan in the mirror for any new and uncovered hickeys, the thing which Sasuke had motioned for. Although there wasn't anything outstanding – which was good – there were quite a few red marks adorning my neck… A quick swipe of cover up in a few places did the trick, and I finally ran downstairs to greet Naruto in the hallway, trying to calm my blush.

"Hey… you," I said, slowing once I reached the bottom. "Thanks," I called to my dad as he left the room to go work in his office (cough-watch golf-cough).

"Hey Sak," Naruto replied. Thankfully, he didn't catch on to my flushed cheeks or the fact that I ran down the stairs in a hurry, looking extremely suspicious.

"So, how's it going," I said, trying to make conversation.

"Meh, its okay," he answered, and then spotted Samuel slinking into the room, probably recognizing Naruto's voice or smell. "Hey, Sammy," he called out and then bent down to pet him.

Samuel arrived just in time. Now Sasuke will have a bit extra to make it look like we were doing something other than creeping pictures of me, flirting, and making out.

As Naruto picked Sam up, who was surprisingly compliant, he asked, "Where's Sasuke?"

Right, he probably saw the Maserati outside. "Um, he's upstairs, we were just doing research on my computer."

"Okay, cool," he replied, and we both made our way up to my room. I let out a brief sigh – I had the situation under control.

Upon entry, I found out that Sasuke had worked his genius – he already had a paragraph typed up and a couple of web pages opened to our topic. It made me wonder why he was putting up with Naruto and me if he could get the whole entire project done within an hour. I clenched my hand and, well… the memory of Sasuke's skin on my fingertips gave me an answer or two.

Upon seeing us enter, I found Sasuke flicker his eyes to both of us and then rest them on Samuel, who was still in Naruto's arms. Was that a 'wtf?' look, or a slightly jealous one?

"Oh, um, this is Samuel…. My cat," I said, introducing Sam to Sasuke, who'd only seen glimpses of him or heard of him through Sarah.

Sasuke seemed uninterested and turned back to the monitor. I went to find two chairs for me and Naruto to sit in.

When noon came around Naruto complained that he was hungry, breaking the slightly awkward tension between all of us with his predictable comment. We all trekked down the stairs to my kitchen, where, after arguing with Naruto on what to eat, we finally decided on macaroni and cheese – again – but the deal was that I had to steer clear when the butter came out.

Being the teenagers that we are, we procrastinated after lunch. Instead of going straight back to work we hung around in my kitchen and talked (well, one of us not so much…). We all tread lightly around the events from last night to save all of us from embarrassment, but I still wanted to know what was going on with Sasuke the night before – so when Naruto headed off to the washroom upstairs, I took the time to try and get some answers.

However, Sasuke had other ideas and wasted no time in making his way over to where I was sitting on the kitchen counter with that sexy look in his eyes. I started swinging my legs slightly, going for the innocent look, and started ringing my hands nervously. Sasuke put a hand on either side of my legs on the counter and leaned in, his intention to make out clear, but I lowered my head slightly. "Wait…" I said as I tried to avoid his gaze.

Almost instantly getting my behavior, Sasuke rolled his eyes and sighed heavily.

"Fine Sakura," He drawled as if he didn't have any interest to make out in the first place (ch, yeah _right_), "What do you want to do then?" he continued, and moved himself a foot away from me, looking annoyed.

What do I want to do then? He's says this as if making out is the only thing we ever do when we're together.

Which is… not _entirely_ true…

"Um…" I started and took a quick glance at his face, "We could… talk?" I asked, and he raised his eyebrow, obviously not liking my idea. "About… last night," I finished, and in reply Sasuke leaned on the counter again, as if even thinking about the party took tedious effort. He released another sigh, making it apparent that talking was the last thing he wanted to do.

When he looked back to me, I took it as a cue to start the conversation. I took in a deep breath. "You and Myr-"

However I couldn't even get her full name out before Sasuke interrupted, "You were designated driver for a reason, Sakura."

Ugh. Why does Sasuke always have to be so vague about everything (and why does he always have to interrupt me)? I'm playing a detective, just trying to figure out what he means.

Designated Driver… so that means that he could drink if I was there, since he didn't have to drive. But does that mean he didn't _want_ to drive home? Or that he wasn't planning on _going_ home?

The last one, although more plausible, isn't the most happy thought.

"So… you were going to stay with Myr-" Again, he cut me off before her name.

"It was Naruto's turn to drive. Since you came, neither of us had to."

Okay… so that means, with the reference that he may have had to drive anyways, he wasn't planning on staying the night. That's…. nice to know.

"And what about Karin...?"

"Just for show," he shrugged, looking arrogant, and then ran his hand through his hair. "Are we finished with the Spanish Inquisition, then?" he asked, sarcasm evident in his tone. Of course he wanted to be finished with all the questions – Naruto's not going to stay upstairs forever. Speaking of Naruto, he is taking quite a long time…

"I guess…" I answered. My head was still tilted downwards, but I could see his slow smirk and his hand as it reached for my chin.

Now this was… odd…

Is his hand gentle as he tilts my chin up, or is it just me? Is he really being like… tender? Or is that just one of his masterful 'swooning' moves he uses to seduce the naiveté into making out with him? Not that I'm complaining.

He leaned down towards me, his other hand lingering on my thigh, running soft patterns up and down my leg. I looked up to him, finally about to kiss him…

Except _he_ was the one cut off this time. The sound of Naruto's footsteps going down the stairs made it to Sasuke's and my ears just in time. By the time he came into the kitchen, Sasuke was brooding on the opposite side of the room as me, and I was getting a glass of water from the sink.

"Soooo," Naruto started, entering the room with only a glance to the both of us, "I don't mean to be a creep, but I was kind of lurking the pictures in your room… And isn't it kind of weird that you still have a picture of me and you kissing on there?"

Oh crap…

"Uh…" I nervously laughed, and took a sip of my water.

My eyes flickered to Sasuke, who raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms, looking like he was waiting to hear my answer too. Is he mad… or is that amusement I see in his eyes?

"Is… is that still up there?" I played the fool, pretending I'd forgotten to take it down – which I guess is half-true.

"Yeah, there's like five pictures of us at the Katana concert." He replied.

I breathed a sigh of relief – the picture I thought he was talking about was of one where we were actually kissing. The one he was talking about was just me kissing him on the cheek. Few.

"Well those are just because it was my first rock concert," I finally answered, because it's true – that _was_ my first rock concert.

"Oh, okay, I just didn't want Hinata to see them, and, you know, get the wrong idea or anything, not that your room's any of my business and stuff."

"Right." I nodded my head, thinking how cute Naruto's concern was for Hinata. If only I could get a certain someone to do that for me.

I glanced at Sasuke again, who was still looking at me expectantly. Was he waiting to hear more of an answer? Or was did he not believe my excuse?

Then, he took his thumb and only taking a second, lightly rubbed his bottom lip once. It was an absent action – or one that seemed absent – but it suddenly made my face flush and the world become extremely hot. Uncomfortably hot.

I finished my water and turned away from the two boys to hide my red face, pretending that my true intentions were to put my glass in the sink.

It then took a couple of seconds to find my voice. "Okay," I said, and then cleared my throat, "We should probably get back to work."

The rest of the project didn't take much more time once we actually focused (well, once Sasuke and I focused). Again, we found ourselves just lazing around and talking – Sasuke sitting at my desk, Naruto lying down on my bed and me sitting at the edge of my bed. Oh – and don't worry, I made sure that I was the first person in my room so I could quickly take down any pictures I had of Naruto and I kissing, or Sasuke, period, and shove them under my bed.

I kept glancing at Sasuke, who provided little to our conversations, and couldn't stop getting tingling sensations every time he caught my glance. Now it was _me_ who was wondering when I'd be able to kiss him next… all because of that one gesture he did with his thumb down in the kitchen…

I got my chance when Naruto's cell phone rang, the caller ID displaying 'Hina'. Naruto, wanting privacy, left my room and went into the TV room. That left me and Sasuke alone again – but how to initiate it?

I tried first.

"You should… come sit over here…" I started, and then patted the spot on the bed beside me as Sasuke raised an eyebrow, "It's more… comfy…" Okay, that ended up super lame.

"Or…" He replied, "You could come sit over here," his eyes flickered to his lap, "It's more comfy." And there was that dark, mysterious look in his eyes again.

Whoa.

MAJOR SHIVERS.

I started blushing, from both being flustered and embarrassed by his implications.

"Or…" I countered, "You could come sit over here…" I pretended to yawn, and stretched my arms above my head, watching as Sasuke's eyes immediately went to my mid-drift, which was momentarily exposed. I wonder if he knows how insanely the butterflies are flapping in there…

I flopped back onto the bed, lying down now and keeping my eyes glued to the ceiling. "It's definitely more comfy…" I finished, and tried to calm my beating red face. It's still hard processing that _I _am actually flirting successfully.

Moments later I heard my computer chair creak, signaling someone was getting off of it. I kept my eyes on the ceiling though, and only looked at him when I felt weight disturbance in the mattress and heat on my skin from his closeness.

He was looking right back at me.

"Hn…" He started, and just that sound made my insides start squirming in anticipation. "I can see where you're coming from."

The next few minutes happened in an instant.

Sasuke and I leaned in to kiss simultaneously. At the same time, footsteps sounded towards my room; ones that we didn't hear. It was too late to scamper to the other side of the room or to even roll away from him – the best we could do before my door opened completely was to stop actually kissing.

"Sakura-," the voice started casually, and then cut off completely from the scene they saw.

The good thing is that it wasn't Naruto.

The bad thing was that it was the devil herself.

"Hi mom!" I answered with false cheer, and tried to move a little farther away from Sasuke without acting too conspicuous. Really, there was no point in faking anything, so I shouldn't even try – but at least she didn't see us kissing.

"Sakura." And there was that voice from this morning. I'm in trouble…

Or maybe… I can still save myself…

I hope Sasuke doesn't mind…

"Mom, before you get any ideas, I'd just like you to know that Sasuke here," I pat his shoulder for show but could feel how tense his body had gone, "was just telling me his secret that _he_," I glanced at him again, "really likes Ino."

This caught both Sasuke and my mom off guard – if possible, Sasuke became even tenser beside me, and my mom didn't know how to answer. Her eyes kept flickering between me and Sasuke, a calculating look in her eyes. She was probably deciding whether I was lying or not. I mean yeah, it's Ino, but Sasuke and I _were_ sitting very close, and we _were_ lying down…

"Sakura," my mom started, but it had more of an authoritative tone than a super angry one, "One, I said you were grounded, and two; when do you recall me saying you could have _boys_ alone in your room, with the door closed?"

"Uh…" I started, glancing quickly at Sasuke. This is so embarrassing – getting ratted out by my mom in front of him.

"And you," she turned to Sasuke, who was still tense beside me, "You can show yourself into another room in this household besides my daughter's bedroom."

Sasuke and I both got up silently; my face red with embarrassment, Sasuke's stoic and completely emotionless. Sasuke shuffled passed my mom, eyes on the ground and looking bored, while I followed.

"You better smarten up soon," my mom said as I was about to walk past her, "what with all of the childish things you've been doing lately, you're starting to act like Puriti."

Oh god forbid, mom, I should turn out to be someone who has a life.

Ugh.

I hate it when she's this way. I mean, PMS much? And it's not like I can do anything or say anything back to her unless I want to be grounded forever and mortified in front of Sasuke.

My mom was about to continue her rant, but suddenly, a voice came from behind her – a voice whose footsteps we didn't hear since we were so absorbed in the trouble I was getting into.

"Yo Sak, I made myself a pizza pocket, I hope you don't mind," Naruto stated as he approached the three of us, obviously not hearing the conversation we were having before.

I looked worriedly to Naruto, who was currently focused on eating a long string of cheese from his snack. My mom whipped her head around to glare at whoever had the nerve to interrupt her _and_ to go into her freezer without permission.

That's when Naruto finally saw her.

"Whoa," he said, still chewing a piece of his pizza pocket, "Who shoved a stick up _your_ ass?"

The next three seconds were of complete, stunned silence.

Then I face-palmed, Sasuke muttered 'idiot,' and my mom took in a very chilling deep breath.

"Sakura," she said, and her tone had gone back to the insanely angry one. "I believe it's time that you show your friends to the door," and as she stormed away from all of us, probably to go bitch at my dad, we all stood in complete silence.

"You're a fucking idiot, Naruto," Sasuke stated while I simultaneously moaned an 'Oh crap,' because I was going to be in big trouble. Hopefully my dad will either calm her down (not likely) or be on my side of the story.

"What?" Naruto asked, oblivious and confused.

"Naruto, that was my mom," I explained in a voice that was unintentionally whiny. How could he not realize that?!

"That was – really? I – wow… your mom is hot." He replied, and then it finally clicked.

"Holy shit! That was your mom!?"

"Who else would it be?" I answered.

"I don't know, I thought it was your sister or something?!"

"My sister already left for university, and she's not _that_ old."

"How was I supposed to know?"

"I don't know," I sighed, giving up. I mean, I can't change anything now. "Just… just leave before my mom comes back and decides to ground me forever." I glanced at Sasuke, who was looking at me. His face was indifferent, but I was confused by his stare – was he zoning out again or something?

Noise from the end of the hallway made as all start and look towards the source. We all stood in anticipation, wondering whether it was my mom coming back on a rampage.

Fortunately it was just Samuel, slinking out of a room down the hall, but Naruto was still a bit freaked out.

"Yeah, I'm gonna go now," he said and made his way for the stairs. I guess he finally realizes the potential monster my mom could be, given that Sasuke and I both looked worried.

"Here, I'll walk you down," I said, and lead him to the front door, Sasuke following us.

Naruto wasted no time in leaving my house, saying a quick 'see ya' as he booked it to his car.

I turned to Sasuke who was putting on his shoes.

Being brave, I told him he didn't have to leave yet, if he didn't want to.

Sasuke looked up at me with a 'ch, yeah right' smirk and said, "Sakura, I'd rather not be castrated by your mother."

I gave a short laugh, blushing from his terminology, embarrassed that I even said anything, and disappointed that he declined.

I think Sasuke sensed all three of those when he glanced at me.

"Look," he sighed, standing next to me in the doorway, "Just tell her that Naruto thought she was your sister because he heard that Puriti was pretty. Cougars eat that kind of shit up."

"Uh… okay…" I answered, a little wierded out that he thought my mom was a cougar. I was about to let it go and make a joke by telling him to watch his step on the way out so he wouldn't trip again, but then a thought hit me – how does he even know what he said would work? How does he even know what cougars _like_ in the first place…

Unless…

Wait a minute.

I put my hands on my hips, "Hold on a sec," I started in a semi-pissed voice, "How many cougars have you _dated_?"

Sasuke's response was instantaneous, probably second nature to him. He put his hands in his pockets and in a cocky voice said, "I wouldn't call it _dating_, Sakura."

It took him a moment to realize who he just said that to.

I raised an eyebrow.

Sasuke's expression, for the first time that I'd seen it, immediately turned into one of innocence. False innocence, but innocence nonetheless. He turned quickly on his heel and started for his car.

I struggled to find words – partly amused, partly pissed – and ended up blurting out "Man-whore!"

For a second he looked back over his shoulder as he opened his door, and I could see the small smirk on his face.

I huffed, walked back into my house, and slammed the door without another glance at him. However, once inside, I couldn't help but blush and giggle into my hand. That is, until I heard my parents arguing and I escaped into my room.

**A/N thanks guys! Hope you liked it!**


	22. Chapter 22

Sasuke's POV

Naruto laughed, drawing Sasuke's attention away from Sakura who closed her front door, to the blonde at his orange Lexus parked on the side of the road.

Sasuke paused on the way to opening his car door and gave Naruto a harmless glare.

"Baha! Man-whore! That's so... so..." Naruto started, searching for words.

"Great?" Sasuke finished, half-smirking from the joke of last night.

"Uh..." Naruto looked at him strangely, making it obvious that he had no idea what Sasuke was talking about.

Sasuke only shook his head as the blonde continued, "I was going for 'true'... but if you think it's great, then... cool..."

"Tch, true?" Sasuke smirked cockily, "I think _I'm_ the one winning the bet, what with being all _faithful_." Sasuke said the word as if it offended him.

Naruto pursed his lips, wondering whether or not he should question Sasuke's faithfulness, due to the whole party the night before and the way it seemed like he wanted something _else_ for lunch today in Sakura's kitchen...

He opted for embarrassing him instead.

"I guess, I mean, you haven't been _that_ much of a man-whore since... since..."

Naruto and Sasuke locked eyes as the blonde trailed off into a moment of silence. Both of them knew exactly when and what '_since_' was...

It involved Sasuke going through his... ahem... _older_ phase. A trend that started to appear in his 'dating' regime was a series of women in their late 20's to early 30's, usually married, and _quite _attractive. Obviously Sasuke lied about his age, saying he was 21 rather than still in his teens, and he definitely could pull it off. But what ended his string of his more mature flings was one Mrs. Evett. Or rather her husband, _Mr. _Evett.

While Sasuke was over at Mrs. Evangeline "please-call-me-Angel" Evett's house, Mr. Evett had changed his plans. Instead of watching a football game at his friend's house, he had invited them all back to his own. Where, unknown to him, Sasuke still was.

In his bed.

With his wife.

Fortunately Sasuke had heard them come through the door and was able to at least get his boxers on.

Unfortunately, the rest of Sasuke's clothes were scattered around the main floor, with his cell phone and wallet in his jean's pocket. Where Mr. Evett easily spotted them and knew something was up.

After a mad dash around the house, Sasuke being chased by 4 angry men who were thankfully just out of their prime, a punch in the face and a bruise on his knee and chin from when he was almost tackled, and some damage to the furniture in the living room in his attempt to flee his pursuers, Sasuke was able to escape the house with his wallet and cell phone. But only those.

So he had to run a couple of blocks and jump a couple of fences until he figured he was at safe enough distance to call Naruto and ask for a ride, all in his boxers. Ten minutes of trying to keep his dignity while passers-by stared strangely at his lack of clothing and footwear, Naruto arrived in his orange Lexus...

...And_ that's_ why he doesn't 'date' cougars anymore.

Back in the present, Sasuke broke their stare first and went back to opening his car door. Naruto laughed, "Maybe I should tell Sakura, I mean, I'm sure she'd _love_ to hear _that_ story."

Sasuke frowned, not about to let Naruto get the last word _or_ refer to any feelings he may or may not have for Sakura. He smirked, leaving Naruto in suspense, before replying "What about _you_ Naruto?"

Slowly, Naruto's smiled started to fade at the realization that Sasuke had something on him.

Seeing Naruto's revelation, Sasuke continued," I'm pretty sure you and Sakura had a pretty good time in the closet yesterday."

At that, Naruto went red; so he _did_ remember some of last night.

"I'm sure Hinata would _love_ to hear _that_ story." Sasuke continued, mimicking Naruto's tone.

"But I... You... She... " Naruto fumbled, and then huffed, opening his own car door, "Fine. We're even."

"Hn," Sasuke replied and got in the Maserati, receiving the finger as he looked back at Naruto.

He chuckled at the blonde as he started the engine, and then let it fade to a frown.

When did he become the type of person who _chuckled?_

Upon arriving home, Sasuke figured out the second reason why he didn't 'date' cougars anymore.

He had walked in the door, shoved his car keys into his pocket and walked across the hall towards the stairs when Marie walked out of the library and towards the kitchen. Sasuke gave a short wave in greeting as she smiled and held up the book she had in her hands.

"I'm cooking dinner tonight," she said as she passed by him, a proud smile on her face.

Sasuke nodded and watched as she went through the kitchen doors, recipes in hand.

Now he didn't even mean to do it – it _must_ have been all that thinking about cougars and shit – but his eyes momentarily – just for an instant – wandered to her... backside.

He froze, tearing his eyes away as his mind was now psychologically scarred.

_Bleck_ (and no, Sasuke did _not_ just make that sound in his mind). That was his mother. Yes, she wasn`t his _biological_ mother, but still.

And that`s when it hit him, the second reason why he doesn't 'date' cougars anymore.

Because all of those woman couldn't have been far off in age to what Marie is – not that Marie is old.

But in essence, they were really all old enough to be his mother.

It would be like 'dating' his _mother_.

His _mother_.

'_DATING!'_

Sasuke shuddered and tried to rid himself of the image, but it were these thoughts that bombarded his mind as he made his way to his room...

And as he went on the computer to try and distract himself...

And as he tried to play his PS3...

But seriously_._

'Dating.'

_What was he thinking!_

Well _obviously_ he wasn't if he was hooking up with women that were theoretically old enough to be is mother.

But, honestly, how could he even have _done_ that? Didn't he have any sort of common sense at all? Didn't he _realize_ this before he decided to '_date'_ any of these women?

Sure they were hot.

Sure they were _good_.

But they were... old!

_OLD!_

Again, he shuddered.

No, he is _not_ thinking about this anymore. No more.

None of that happened, he did not just realize that, he did not just glance at his mother's behind, and he did _not_ picture it in his mind.

No.

No, he did not...

For the third time, Sasuke shuddered.

However, it was hard to think of _anything _else when it seemed that _everything_, _EVERYTHING,_ seemed relevant.

Turning the T.V on and the first thing popping up being a promiscuous scene on some show.

Pressing the channel up button only to have the next show being the 'Mom' show.

Switching to boxing and the announcer mentioning that his opponent was `so much older than the other.'

Switching the channel again only to have the discovery channel be the next one up, and of course, it was showing lions.

Which aren't cougars, but they are felines. Large felines.

_Old_ felines.

Sasuke turned off the T.V, his last resort of distraction in his room. He held his head in his hands, realizing how completely disturbed... stupid... even _vulnerable_ he was being.

Why was this happening?

Sasuke Uchiha is _not_ vulnerable.

_Think of something else, think of something else._

Sakura.

There we go, a perfect distraction.

Okay, picture Sakura... In her _second skin satin_.

There, even better.

Now, picture Sakura...

In his car in her second skin satin.

...

_There_... even _better..._

Wait a minute.

Sasuke was not_ fantasizing_ about Sakura. About _paper towel girl._ He was not _using_ her... _relying_ on her, even for the sake of his own sanity.

There must be something else... some other distraction...

Ah.

Got it.

Sasuke stood up and went to his closet. He took a shoebox that looked very ordinary in his closet and opened it.

Inside was all of his drug paraphernalia, his escape for now.

So right then and there, Sasuke sat down and rolled a joint.

A _big_ joint.

And carefully placed it in his pocket as he climbed up to the loft, out the skylight, on to the roof where the breeze would blow all the evidence away, and into a little alcove where he wouldn't be seen from the ground. He lit up, took a deep pull, and exhaled.

_There_.

That was much better.

"Sasuke, which one, the pink... or the purple..." Sarah asked, holding up two Barbie Doll dresses.

Sasuke glanced at Sarah from where he was sitting...

Crossed-legged...

On... her... bed?

When did he get here?

He scanned the room, liking the way everything looked so... _magical..._

A fraction of a smile appeared on his face.

"Sasuke," Sarah whined, noticing her brother's lack of attention. Why was he even being so _weird?_

Sasuke eventually landed his gaze on Sarah, who was staring at him. Why was she staring at him?

"Sasuke, pink or purple?" She asked again, getting impatient.

Sasuke lifted his hand up to point at one of the dresses but then got distracted by the way his finger felt when he flexed it.

Again, a small smile appeared on his face.

Sarah stared oddly at her brother and opted to not question his mysterious ways.

He was a boy after all.

"Fine, I'll pick," Sarah said, "Hmmmmmm..."

"_Hmmmmmmm_..." Sasuke answered, mimicking her, just because it tingled his lips and sounded so funny.

Sarah huffed and put down her Barbie doll, "Sasuke, why are you being so weird?"

"_Why are you being so weird_?" Sasuke mocked back, in a strangely high voice...

Okay, now her brother has gone insane.

"Sasuke... Are you okay?" she asked carefully, but Sasuke didn't reply. He had flopped back on the bed and had taken to staring in wonder at all the magical accessories in Sarah's room.

"Hmmm," Sarah started, ignoring Sasuke's own hum in reply again, "This looks like a job for Doctor Princess Fairy Sarah," she reasoned, and crossed the room to one of her many toy bins – but by the time she found her doctors kit and turned back around to diagnose her brother, he had disappeared.

"Sasuke?" she called out, but there was no reply.

Sarah could only shake her head. Boys these days.

Sasuke had somehow found his way to his room. 'Somehow' because he didn't quite know exactly how he got there.

He also 'somehow' found his way to his computer where he 'somehow' had taken to stalking Sakura on Facebook.

But alas, it was too tiring, and he was too hungry, so he found himself watching T.V on his couch and zoning in and out of reality.

That is until Sarah 'somehow' arrived in his room, calling him a stupid-head and informing him that it was "dinner time and we have to go eat dinner together with everyone since mom made it so it's important, okay?"

Sasuke stood up in reply and followed Sarah out the door.

As the two made their way through the hallways, Sarah pondered what dessert could possibly be that night, if her parents would let her have chocolate milk instead of normal milk with dinner, what had made her brother such a stupid-head today, and if she could get away with holding his hand since he was being so weird and probably wouldn't notice.

Upon experimenting with the latter, Sarah found her hypothesis to be correct and relished in this rare moment of her brother's affection.

Upon entering the dining room, Sasuke had realized that he had 'somehow' gotten to holding Sarah's hand and took it away promptly.

Upon seeing their children enter the room together, Phil smiled and Marie finished bringing out the last dish to the table.

And, upon sitting down in his chair, Sasuke 'somehow' missed his seat.

A loud 'thump' followed, aka Sasuke's body hitting the floor.

He got up with a cough, said he was 'fine,' and awkwardly re-seated himself while ignoring the half-worried, half-confused stares from his parents and Sarah's giggles at his odd behaviour.

As dinner commenced, the stares and giggles continued from their respective owners unbeknownst to Sasuke. He was too busy shovelling as much food as possible into his mouth to satisfy his seemingly bottomless stomach. It wasn't his fault, he was just so _hungry._

When he had finished his third plate of food, Marie finally questioned, regarding his slightly bloodshot eyes, odd, sluggish behaviour, and insatiable appetite, if he was feeling alright.

Sasuke, now frustrated with his intoxicated self managed to answer with relative sobriety, "Yeah... I just... was tired and took one of the sleeping pills I just got prescribed."

"Ah," Marie and Phillip both nodded as this made perfect sense, relieved that now there was a reason for his unusual behaviour.

"And how are they working for you?" Phillip asked.

"Fine," Sasuke answered uncomfortably, awkward with any personal issue regarding himself.

"You know what," Philip started, "You have been sleeping in more, or at least, more than usual."

Sasuke, still uncomfortable, shrugged a shoulder in response.

"That's good sweetie," Marie added, "Well how about you retire early for the night, then? Get a good night's sleep?" Marie continued gently, "I'll save some dessert for you in the freezer."

"Hn," Sasuke replied, taking the chance to escape, but not before refilling his plate and taking it with him. He knew his parents would be watching him go, still confused at his behaviour but at that point he really could care less. He was far too frustrated, tired, and still hungry to do much else now. At least he got away with his intoxicated public appearance.

So Sasuke trudged up the stairs and hallways and to his room where by that time he was so exhausted that he just flopped onto the couch, devoured the food he brought with him, and fell asleep – not becoming conscious again until he was awoken the next morning by someone nudging his side.

And it wasn't Cupcake, as she was already cuddling with him, having finally found him in the middle of the night.

Sakura's POV

There are a couple of things I should have known before I said 'okay' to Naruto when he called me the next day. The first is that when Naruto left to go meet Hinata for their date, he was contemplating his and Sasuke's last conversation.

About being faithful.

First, Naruto was first worried about his own faithfulness; about how Hinata would take it if – no, _when_ he told her about the party last night, because he felt he had to.

Second, Naruto wondered about Sasuke's faithfulness. It seemed odd how easy the bet was going for him, and yet...

Naruto figured something was up. He knew something weird was going on between Sasuke and I lately, and I wish I had known but he was surprisingly good at keeping it hidden.

But he only really considered this once he had gotten over the first of his worries – which went over surprisingly smoothly when he met Hinata for their date in the afternoon. This was because of the talk I had with her early this morning. However Naruto had another reason to be surprised other than the way his girlfriend handled his confession.

Hinata, on the topic of the party last night had accidently referenced to the possibility of Sasuke and I being somewhat together. She didn't even say anything quite specific, but Naruto still got the inference, and Hinata didn't help disprove it by the way she reacted when Naruto said "Whoa whoa whoa, what did you say?" Hinata had covered her mouth with her hands, her wide eyes peeping over top of them.

But I'm proud of Hinata despite her almost fatal slip – she was able to keep her own against Naruto and his methods of persuasion, which were mostly romantically physical.

Except I didn't know these things, at least not until later the next day when Hinata sent me a desperate and apologetic text about how Naruto is suspicious. However, it was earlier, not later, that I needed to know this, as it was earlier when Naruto called.

"Hey Sak, what's up?"

"Mm, nothing much. Oh except my mom isn't here today, kind of disappeared again, but that means I'm not grounded anymore! Well, at least until she gets back but-"

"Perfect! See I was gonna go over to Sasuke's later today and just wondered if you wanna come tag along. "

"Uh..."

"Don't worry, Mr. Grumpy will be fine with it. Just thought you might wanna come 'cause on days like today – you know, not too hot, not too cold - Mr. Carter likes to crack open the barbeque and Mrs. Carter makes this flippin' sweet potato salad and –"

"Okay."

"What? You'll come?"

"Yeah, why not, right?"

"Awesome. I didn't think you'd agree so quickly."

"Well, Sasuke and I are like friend...type...people... right?"

"Friend-type-people?"

"I just don't think he hates me as much as he used to..."

"Oh yeah, sure. Totally. So should I pick you up or something?"

"Um, okay, when?

"Like now. I'm kind of already on my way."

"What!"

"Well, I didn't think you'd agree so quickly, but I knew you'd eventually say yes."

"But-"

"Plus I don't wanna miss any food or anything."

"Okay, well-"

"See ya soon!"

"Naruto!... Naruto?... Hello?...Ugh. Idiot."

"Would you SMELL those burgers!" Naruto yelled as he walked around to the backyard and on to the patio.

Mr. Carter waved with his spatula from the giant barbeque at the other end of the patio. Mrs. Carter, who had just set a giant bowl of what I'm guessing is her "flippin' sweet potato salad," turned around to greet us.

"Hi Naruto," she started and then glanced to me, shuffling awkwardly behind him, "Oh, Sakura, we weren't expecting you too."

"Um, hi. Sorry, I didn't think it would be-"

"Nonsense, of course you're welcome. I'll just get another place setting." She answered and started back inside.

"Where's Sasuke at?" Naruto asked as we followed her in. I waved to Sarah who was swimming in the pool.

Mrs. Carter paused, putting a hand on her hip as she glanced to the ceiling, "You know, I don't think he's been down yet. I think your best bet is to check his room."

"Thanks Mrs. C." Naruto said.

"Lunch will be ready soon, so don't be too long." She called when we passed by her to the stairs.

"Gotcha" Naruto replied.

"Thanks," I added.

Sasuke's POV

"Yo Sasuke."

The words entered the back of his mind as a more insistent nudging brought him to a lethargic wakefulness.

Sasuke grunted.

"Yo Sasuke, wake up." The voice repeated, and the nudging continued.

"What?" Sasuke replied, his voice muffled by the pillow he was face down in.

"Dude, stop cuddling with your cat and get up. It's like almost lunch." Naruto replied.

"Fuck off Naruto." Sasuke mumbled, recognizing the voice and swatting the foot in his side that went with it. Cupcake, he realized, was on his shoulder and scampered off at Sasuke's sudden movement.

"Come on, Sasuke. Is that any way to treat your guests?"

This caught Sasuke's attention. Guests? _Plural?_

He momentarily lifted his head from the pillow, his eyes squinting against the light, to see two figures standing over him. One was Naruto. The other...

"Fuck..." Sasuke mumbled and his head plopped back down to the pillow.

Sakura was here? Why was _she _here? And did Naruto say lunch? Shit. And he was still in yesterday's clothes and on his couch. How much did he _smoke_?

"Kay... well we'll see you outside," Naruto said and Sasuke, face still shoved into his pillow, lifted an arm slightly in response.

He waited for them both to leave, hearing Sakura ask "Are we going to leave him there? Is he actually going to get up?"

"Oh yeah, he'll be fine." He heard Naruto reply.

When he could no longer hear their voices or footsteps, he groaned to himself; he felt like shit.

Slowly he got off the couch and trudged to the bathroom. After looking in the mirror he groaned again; he looked like shit. His face was pale – even for him – and he had really dark circles under his eyes. And what the fuck was his hair doing? He ran a hand through it which was his usual quick-fix, but it seemed to make random pieces stick out in odd directions. He tried again, but it only made it worse.

Sighing, he turned and closed the bathroom door.

After a quick shower he was feeling, and definitely looking, better. He managed to finish getting ready quite quickly and then made his way down to the main floor. Now he knew he was probably already missing half of lunch, but he made a detour to the kitchen to grab some coffee before he made his debut outside.

Sakura's POV

Two things:

1. Mrs. Carter's potato salad _is_ flippin' sweet.

2. Lunch at Sasuke's wasn't as awkward as I thought it would be.

Even when Sasuke finally joined us outside, it still wasn't that uncomfortable. And Sasuke, by the way, looked unbelievably hot. Well, at least to me. He didn't look is best as he looked unbelievably tired (which nobody commented on as Sasuke didn't look like he was in a good mood) but he had this sort of ruggedness about him. He had entered the backyard drinking what was probably coffee from a mug, his hair was still slightly wet from what I assume was a shower, and he was faintly unshaven – just a hint of a shadow appeared across his jaw line. I hoped no one saw my flushed cheeks when looked my way just for a second when he sat down.

And another thing: I surprised myself with how talkative I was. I mean it wasn't like I was chatting up a storm, but I could carry on a conversation quite comfortably. Well, I guess what made it easier was that I wasn't talking to Sasuke directly. I'm pretty sure he said only about 5 sentences total – and most of them were requests to pass the food over. Anyways, lunch went easy and quick, and after Naruto, Sasuke and I made our way up to the usual: Sasuke's room.

Now here's where Naruto set his little hunch about Sasuke and me to work. By now, whenever Sasuke and I were alone, Sasuke would try and make a move on me. Well, I guess he didn't really "try" as all his advances worked, but the point is, all of our alone time seemed to be purely physical. And I guess Naruto figured that one out as about half an hour later, he made a lame excuse to leave the room, explaining how he was hungry for instant noodles or something. Now I didn't know he was scheming, but Sasuke caught on. This was actually a great example of how well the two boys knew each other.

The second Naruto left the room, I turned towards Sasuke, now more confident in the role that I have in our time alone. He looked back at me and I raised my eyebrows. In response, Sasuke angled his shoulders towards me and I shifted sideways towards him. There was an awkward moment where we both did nothing and I realized that I was going to make the first move. Another awkward moment passed when I realized that to make the first move I had to be even closer to him. So, looking down at my lap and my face red, I shyly inched sideways again towards him. But when I was close enough that our knees touched, my chin was already in his hand and we were kissing instantly.

Seconds later, Sasuke heard a creak outside his door and suddenly I was pushed back towards my original spot on the couch. I looked to Sasuke with confusion, who was nonchalantly watching TV, at the same time that his bedroom door opened and Naruto walked in. He paused with his mouth open, watching us with an eyebrow raised at the awkward tension that literally anyone could feel between us, then slowly started to say what he was originally going to, his eyes shifting between us, "So... uh, I was just wondering if I could steal the rest of the potato salad... but... uh, never mind..."

Naruto backed out of the room slowly, his eyebrow still raised, and then turned to walk down the hall leaving the door open behind him.

"Wow..." I breathed. If Sasuke hadn't stopped us, we would have been caught in the act. Naruto would have seen us making out and the whole bet would be done with and then where would Sasuke and I stand?

Speaking of making out...

I turned to Sasuke who seemed wary of the door being open. He glanced at me when he felt me watching him, and I leaned forward, about to continue from where we left off when he changed expressions.

"Don't," he murmured, so low that I almost couldn't hear him.

I paused with my hand out, which was meant to land somewhere on Sasuke before he stopped me and listened like he was.

But I didn't hear anything.

"Wait..." Sasuke said, still low, and then, "Say my name."

"What?" I asked just as quietly, very confused at his request. I lowered my hand and just stared at him.

"Say it." He replied in a whisper, ad slight smirk to his voice.

Ummm... what? Just say his name? Does he have some sort of a plan?

Frowning slightly, my eyes on him, I whispered "Sasuke."

"Louder." He replied, and I raised an eyebrow. He glanced to me, his eyes annoyed that I wasn't obeying his every command, and then back to the door.

Looking at him strangely, I said his name again, this time at regular speaking level, "Sasuke."

"HAH!" Naruto jumped into the room from around the corner with his finger pointed at us, instantly after I finished saying Sasuke's name.

We both looked at Naruto from our respective spots on the couch, which were at opposite ends and highly innocent. Naruto realized this and started babbling, trying to make sense of what he saw and what he expected to see. Sasuke just shook his head, saying "idiot" under his breath and turning back towards the TV. I continued to look at Naruto, who was now confused, flustered, and still babbling.

"Um... Hi Naruto," I said, catching his attention.

Naruto's eyes shot towards me and then he huffed. "Ugh. Nevermind," he said and turned to stomp down the hall, this time to actually go to the kitchen. I knew this because Sasuke was on me the second he was gone, and we were back to making out. However, I couldn't help but giggling at what had just happened. Sasuke rolled his eyes at my amusement and kept kissing me until I started full out laughing, at which point he rolled his eyes and moved his lips elsewhere until I calmed down. Except I couldn't stop laughing, whether it was from the relief in tension or it was just that funny, and Sasuke pulled away to give me a partial glare.

I covered my mouth and calmed my laugh down to a smile at his stare.

"You finished?" he asked, partly annoyed.

"Yes, yes, I'm sorry, I'm done" I replied, keeping my amusement to a smile, and he leaned down to kiss me again, but for a second time, I burst out laughing.

Sasuke sighed and pulled away, sitting up this time and moving back to where he started on the couch, his eyes now on the TV.

"Sasuke," I said, my voice apologetic, trying to get his attention. He continued to watch the TV and I sighed at his grumpiness. "Sasuke," I said again, sitting up too, but he still ignored me.

Trying to hide a smile at his child-like stubbornness, I moved across the couch and boldly put my arms around his neck. I tried to work some puppy-dog eyes but he sat stiffly and wouldn't move his head from the TV. "I'm done, I'm sorry," I said, kissing him, although he was unresponsive. "I'm done, I swear, I promise," I continued, kissing him again and finally felt him respond.

There we go.

A moment later he was back to taking the lead, and I realized he was getting quite predictable – a little physical contact was all it took.

Not that I minded.

**A/N FINALY. **

**Hey guys, sorry it took so long. I know its the same old excuse but I am beyond busy this summer. And this chapter was sooo hard to just write. It took forever. Anyways, thanks to all you guys who messaged me in between chapters, and thanks to all of you readers! Really, you're my motivation :) **

**Oh, and sorry for any typos or grammar errors. I really just wanted to put this up, I was sick of reading again, and my beta currently is having computer troubles (but am grateful to her anyways).**

**Also, I am hesitant on the ending of this chapter. A little ooc on Sakura's part? Or is it a good, moving-forward kind of change?**

**Thanks for reading!**


	23. Chapter 23

**P/M EDIT: So I just realized something CRAZY. I went to preview this chapter and all my page breaks were nonexistent. And then I checked them for the entire story and there are NO PAGEBREAKS. Wtf? Throughout the entire story I had 0o0o0o0o0o as a symbol for a page break or an end of a scene or something, which I though really organized everything, but apparently deleted all that…. So I guess I have to figure something out? I'm gonna redo this with a page break...  
**

I started off Monday morning being a little sneaky. And a little forward. It was all due to being at Sasuke's and being all brave. It was weird, I just felt… cocky or something.

It was like, in those seconds (which turned to… um… minutes…) I was almost on par with Sasuke. Like he wasn't the one holding the cards in his hands. Or at least, not all of them.

And then later, when we were finished, um… canoodling… I had come back from the washroom and Sasuke was watching TV on his couch. So I just sat down with him like everything was normal. And here's the big thing: we DIDN'T make out.

I know, weird, right? We just sat and watched TV and shared the occasional comment every once in a while about the show or the commercial. We _never_ do that.

But then Sarah came in and saw us sitting beside each other and asked if we were boyfriend and girlfriend like Barbie and Ken and it got awkward so I left…

Anyways.

I pulled into the parking lot when I got to school on Monday and as I searched for an empty space, noticed that the Maserati wasn't parked in its usual spot near the front of the school. In fact, it was a couple cars behind me – he had just gotten to school now. So I took this rare opportunity to pull one on Sasuke. I mean, I hardly ever get to, and it's not like it would give anything away about Sasuke and I – it would only be teasing him a bit. As far as everyone knows we're just friends, and friends can do that stuff, right? Plus, why would I park so far away if there was a _perfectly_ good parking spot right by the entrance? So, biting my lip, I drove over to Sasuke's spot, parked, and waited.

A couple of minutes later, through my rear view mirror, I saw him approaching the school entrance – was that a small frown on his forehead?- and got out of my car before he passed by. Pretending not to notice his advance, I started to collect my things.

Just as I slipped on my knapsack my car door closed. We can all guess who did that.

"My keys are still in there," I said, turning to look at Sasuke, pretending not to notice the whole fact that this was 'his' parking space.

"You stole my spot," he replied, looking at me with a slightly pissed expression, his hand resting on the door he just closed.

"Well I was merely parking in the most convenient location," I said, trying to bite back a smile. I wasn't doing a very good job, and he noticed. I think it made him a little more pissed.

I kind of liked it.

"It's a lot better than having to trek from the back of the parking lot," I continued, knowing that that was where Sasuke had to park. I pretended to scan the area for his car, "Wow, you know the Maserati looks pretty small from all the way over here."

I looked back to Sasuke, only receiving a steady glare in reply. Now this is where my facade started to fail, as I swear that glare was turning into a smolder. Sasuke remained silent, his eyes on me and I couldn't think of anything more to say. I mean, I thought I'd see him, maybe tease him with a line and be on my way. But I couldn't make a flirty exit or anything because my keys were still in my car, and his hand was still on the door.

"Well," I started, and cleared my throat. Is it getting really hot out here, or is it just me? I moved to open the car door, "So I'm just gonna get my keys and then-" but Sasuke moved his hand and replaced it with his full weight, leaning on the door and now _very _close to me. "Uh..." I struggled for words, realizing now that I was losing this battle. I glanced quickly at his face and was caught by his expression.

Now smirking, he leaned in an inch more and said lowly, "Watch your back Sakura."

I opened my mouth to reply, but before I could say anything (not that I would have been able to anyways), he was walking away, into the school.

Ugh.

I totally lost that one.

And he totally felt me shiver before he left.

* * *

The morning seemed like forever. Mostly because I was paranoid about Sasuke telling me to watch my back. I mean… what does that _mean!_ Knowing Sasuke… actually wait, I _don't _know Sasuke. Not _that _well.

But I wasn't going to take any chances. And though there is the possibility that he was going to get me back in a way that involved being all sneaky and makey-outy, I had almost run into him in the hallways between first and second period and the look in his eyes as he passed me was pretty evil.

And kind of sexy. But mostly evil.

However I didn't have to wait much longer to see what Sasuke's plan was.

But before that, something _weird_ happened. I didn't know the full story because I was too far away, and I'm not even sure if I even saw what happened correctly…

But I had been taking the longer and less known routes around the school in hopes of avoiding Sasuke, when, as I walked passed one of the less-used hallways I heard yelling. I stopped and looked down the hallway but it was empty – everyone had gone to lunch.

It was then that I saw two figures by the stairwell all the way at the end of the hallway. I couldn't exactly make-out who they were or what they were saying, but they were a guy and a girl, and they were definitely arguing. I hesitated, wondering what I should do. Drama like this usually never happens at our school. In the rare instances that it does, it's usually outside because no one wants to get in trouble with the school.

So there I was, at a loss of what to do when my decision was kind of made for me. The guy yelled something, almost loud enough for me to hear it. It kind of sounded like "Do you want a turkey cat? Seriously? Who put the duck in the car?"

Which I realized later was: "Do you really believe that? Seriously? Who the fuck do you think you are?"

My mistake.

Anyways, the girl, in response started running down the hall, crying hysterically, towards me. So my 'decision' was to keep walking towards the cafeteria, pretending I didn't see it and hopefully no one would notice. I mean, I didn't know who they were and they might get pissed that I was eavesdropping on their private matters.

As I walked away I heard her footsteps and sobs turn the corner and then fade– she must have ran down the opposite way.

I sighed in relief, realizing that my heart rate was way up from being so nervous about getting caught. Then my curiosity got the better of me and I turned my head to see who it was.

And saw Karin running away.

Okay, now back to Sasuke's plan. Really I shouldn't have been so stupid about it. I probably should have seen it coming, but I was still thinking about Karin and the fight I saw. So when I walked into the cafeteria I may have been a little caught up in my thoughts.

After I got my food I started to walk over to Naruto's table. I was halfway there when I walked passed a large group of people – and when I felt someone grab by butt.

I let out a shriek in surprise (and it also kind of hurt) and ended up spilling my tray of food. Turning around in shock I saw Sasuke's form walking towards the vending machines. He even had a little swagger going on and everything.

I mean what the heck? Who _does_ that?

He should have said "watch your back_side."_

Jerk.

And then suddenly my attention shifted to one of two fears. The first: what exactly was the wet feeling I felt dripping down my front? A glanced down and thankfully only my water spilled on my shirt – but it could have been a lot worse.

My second fear was that someone saw what Sasuke did. Because that would look very suspicious. As far as anyone knows that was very un-Sasuke-like which would also kind of mean there was something going on between us for him to do that to me. However when I looked around everyone was either staring at me oddly or didn't even notice. So I swallowed my embarrassment, picked up the food, which was mostly salvageable, and made my way over to Naruto and the group. On arrival, I was questioned on what happened and if I was okay. I replied that I just slipped. I mean, what else could I say? So I played it cool and even laughed along with some of the jokes made about how much of a klutz I am. Hinata offered to go to the bathroom with me and help dry off my shirt but I told her it was okay and I'd go by myself.

* * *

So once again I was slowly walking through the halls. I started to get angrier and angrier thinking about what Sasuke did. I mean, okay, I stole your parking spot. But it's not even _yours_. You can't _claim_ a parking spot unless you're like the principal or something. I clenched my jaw – I totally didn't deserve that. I mean, no one really saw me stealing Sasuke's parking spot, but Sasuke decided to go and not only embarrass me and make me drop my food and spill my water on myself – but he did it publicly, _and_ so that it looked like I was just stupid or something and spazzed for no reason.

When I started to feel tears stinging my eyes I took a couple of breaths and shook my head. Whatever. It's not worth getting that upset, and I was already making a bigger deal out of it than it should be. By the time I got to the washroom I was over it. Sasuke 'got me.' He can be all cocky and smirky and everything. He looks hot doing it anyways.

Now I really couldn't say what I felt as I walked into the washroom and saw Karin crying by one of the sinks. I think I was in shock, and I even stumbled when I realized the awkwardness I had created by seeing her.

After righting myself I tried to look calm as I went to one of the hand dryers, bending down so that my shirt was in the stream of air. When I felt awkward and stupid doing that, I went to one of stalls and ripped off some toilet paper to dab up the water. I cautiously walked to the garbage can – unfortunately by the sinks where Karin was balling – and threw the toilet paper out.

I started to walk out the washroom but paused; I knew I would feel guilty if I just left without saying anything to Karin. Which sucks, because, well, it's _Karin_, and what has she ever done for me? Except just leaving her there… I mean she was crying – like really crying. What if it was something serious?

I sighed, getting over my bitterness, took a deep breath, walked back to the sinks and pretended to look in the mirror and adjust my appearance or whatever. Karin didn't seem to notice.

"Um..." I glanced through the mirror at Karin, who had her face in her hands, "Are... you okay?"

She glanced up at me, startled that I had said anything, and then hid her face again and kept crying. I found it odd that I hadn't recognized her – nor the other guy's voice in the stairwell – and then realized that it was probably because their guards were down. She didn't have her little snooty voice going on; what she was saying and feeling was real and not just the drama queen she usually is. I mean, that fight sounded intense. And by the looks of it, she was the victim of it.

This made me walk over beside her, even if she _was _Karin.

"Seriously though," I said, hesitating and then awkwardly putting a hand on her shoulder, "Are you okay?"

Either she realized I wasn't going away, or she really just needed someone to talk to, but she ended up spilling the whole story to me. Now I only got bits and pieces of it through her sobs and how she seemed to say it all in about 30-seconds, but I got the gist of it.

Sasuke is an asshole of a boyfriend and I'm a home-wrecker.

That's right, it was Sasuke who was yelling at her in the stairwell. She had finally confronted him about how careless he was towards her and they got into an argument and then he kind of flipped on her. And I heard those last words he said (not the turkey-cat ones).

Shock kind of sent me into silence as I thought over what I just heard. Especially the home-wrecker part.

Well, she didn't exactly _say_ that _I _was a home-wrecker, but if you think about it, _I am_ really the reason he's being such an asshole. If he was just doing the bet to piss off Naruto, then he would be, at his worst, indifferent to Karin. But since I'm involved, since Sasuke and I have been kind of _together_, since we've been _cheating_ on her... well I guess Sasuke feels he doesn't owe anything to her.

And that sucks. 'Cause now I feel shitty about myself too.

"Wow..." I said, flabbergasted about what she told me, and then realized I should be supportive rather than shocked. "I... didn't know that all happened..."

Karin sniffed, and tried to pull herself together a bit. "The thing is..." she started and sniffled again. "The thing is... like, I knew him. Before he came here. And when I heard he was moving schools I got all excited, but then he turned out to be this thing that all the girls wanted, so I had to want him too... and he actually acknowledged me so I thought..." she trailed of and started crying again. I awkwardly pat her back and waited. And also was a tiny bit thankful I had a break from her talking because she whined in this high-pitched voice that kind of got really frustrating to listen to...

She took another breathe and sobbed out, "We used to be friends... and now... and now... he just hates me!" She went into full-out crying again, and at the same time, everything clicked. I knew what to say to her, and I knew what I had to do after.

"Karin," I started, and she calmed down a bit to hear me, "I don't really know the full story, but from what I get of it… well… maybe he didn't see you in the sort of dating way… because you still _are_ his friend."

At this Karin looked at me peculiarly. Getting her attention, I continued, "And really, if you think about it, Sasuke doesn't value really anyone, except for Naruto and a few others, as friends." At these words Karin's crying reduced to sniffles, so I continued. "He passes on girls like they're nothing. And to be an actual friend is kind of better than being just some other girl. And maybe he _knows _that, so he's just trying to keep you out of his… "romantic" life so that you can stay in his everyday life."

Okay wow that was kind of cheesy. But the look on Karin's face made me realize that she actually _did_ understand Sasuke. And she understood what I was saying. She said she was friends with him before he moved to this school, so I guess she _knows_ him – the same, or maybe even better than I do.

"Words aren't exactly Sasuke's forte," Karin said while wiping her eyes.

"You got that right," I replied, and we both kind of did this half-smile at her joke.

Suddenly the door to the bathrooms swung open and another student walked in.

Karin immediately cleared her throat, took on her little snooty expression and started primping in the mirror.

Well, I guess our little moment is gone. Which I'm kind of fine with since I'm not the biggest fan of Karin, and I don't plan on being besties with her in the future.

Seeing me still watching her, she glanced at me through the mirror and gave me a once-over.

"Your shirt is still damp," she said in a snobbish voice.

"Wha-?" I looked down, and indeed I had not completely dried my shirt yet. "Oh, right."

She rolled her eyes, primped up her hair a bit more, and then left the washroom without another word.

I rolled my eyes too. Typical Karin.

But I have bigger things to worry about than Karin pretending our little conversation never happened: mainly Sasuke being a giant jerk-face. Oh, and the fact that I have to stop fooling around with him.

As crappy as that is, I really _can't_ keep secretly seeing Sasuke. I basically ruined someone's life for more than a week by being a cheater. And that made me feel all slimy and kind of a horrible person. And knowing what Sasuke put Karin through… well the butterflies in my stomach aren't really fluttering at the thought of him anymore. I'm kind of just pissed at his behaviour. And shocked that he could even be that mean.

I mean, sometime in the future if we were to ever… get together… would he do that again?

I couldn't think as I walked back to the cafeteria. Those butterflies started flapping again, but this time because I was nervous, even just about _seeing_ Sasuke. What will I do when he tries to make a move?

Well… I guess… nothing.

* * *

And actually, that's exactly what I did for the rest of the week. Nothing. When I got back to the cafeteria, Hinata had gotten me some replacement food, Karin was beside Sasuke and they seemed fine, and all I did was eat my lunch and talk to everyone else. I didn't even make eye contact with Sasuke once.

And when I got his mid class booty-call texts throughout the rest of the week, I did nothing. I ignored them.

When we had to work on our science project, I did the work ahead of time, emailed it to Naruto, and told him I couldn't make it to the meeting.

When Naruto or his other friends wanted to hang out and I knew Sasuke would be there, I declined.

Sasuke, during all of this, was none too pleased. He actually looked pissed half the time I saw him. And maybe a little confused. He even had the nerve to corner me in the hallways between classes once, to which I just looked down, said 'stop' and walked away. I do have to admit though, that I did get some gratification in the image of him standing there after I walked away – _I _was the one rejecting _him_.

But it wasn't like this was a piece of cake. The whole week I was terrified of seeing him. It was quite hard to ignore his advances or to make sure I was never in a situation where I had to explain myself. That would be awkward and he probably would have found some way to get me to kiss him. I just kept telling myself that I couldn't do this to Karin – or anyone – anymore, and that made me resolve. And it made me pissed. Because Sasuke was such a jerk before and for the rest of the week he wasn't even paying for it. He and Karin were actually having a _lovely_ rest of the week in terms of their relationship. There wasn't much more PDA between them but they acted 'together' enough to look like they were still boyfriend and girlfriend. Maybe they had a talk or something and came to some sort of understanding?

Ugh. Not fair.

While they were off in couples world I was doing 'nothing'.

That is, until Friday.

* * *

Friday morning started as usual: I avoided Sasuke at all costs.

But it was at lunch when he finally caught me.

I had made it to the cafeteria before him, got my food and sat down. It was the last day of the bet, and half the table was excited, the other half grumpy because they made their bets on Sasuke losing. I was still kind of in my own world since Monday, and I think others noticed. I also think all the stress was making me sick, because I definitely felt like I was burning up.

Maybe it was just because Sasuke sat down right beside me.

It was almost like it was before – when he would purposefully sit beside me or walk me to class – we just kind of acknowledged the other's presence but didn't do any other social motions towards each other. Except this time my silence was due to my nervousness and anger, not confusion and butterflies.

Okay, maybe a bit of butterflies.

And then, halfway through lunch when I felt his hand on my knee, I got a _lot_ of butterflies.

Immediately I shook my leg once hoping that he would remove his hand and this wouldn't be a repeat of all those times before, which lead to sneaking away to making out.

But his hand didn't leave. Instead, as predicted, it started to move.

I tried to ignore it, but it only took a couple of seconds until I was blushing. I gave Sasuke a quick glance and saw him looking away from me and having a conversation with the people on his other side, pretending that his hand is not moving up my thigh. I tried shaking my leg once more, but I think that only encouraged him.

Because his hand was now at the hem of my shorts. And my shorts were _short_ that day.

I took a deep breath, telling myself I could do this. I could pretend Sasuke isn't the hottest thing ever and that he's not practically molesting me under the table. Casually, I lowered my hand below the table as well and slapped his away.

Yeah, that didn't work so much. It was still there. And it was _drawing circles_.

_What was he doing!_

I slapped his hand again, flustered, and then practically jumped out of my seat when Hinata asked if I was feeling okay.

Thank god for Hinata. Or Buddha… Or… whatever.

"Actually, I think I might be coming down with something…" I said in a wavering voice. "I'm… just gonna get some fresh air." And with that I stood up and almost ran out of the cafeteria. And while I was making my way outside, little did I know Sasuke got up a half a minute later.

And little did _he_ know that Naruto, getting suspicious because Sasuke didn't even leave with an excuse, got up followed him out the cafeteria…

* * *

Stupid freaking butterflies. Stupid freaking Sasuke.

Why did he have to do that. What is the _matter _with him?

Why couldn't he just leave me be?

And why do I kind of feel like crying?

I felt my forehead, because even with the cool breeze outside I still felt like I was boiling. Maybe I was actually coming down with something. Or maybe I just have dumb hormones that make me want to maul Sasuke every chance I get. Regardless of him being a jerk.

Can I not control myself around him? Is it not possible at all?

Well, I was about to put myself to the test, because Sasuke just walked outside as well.

Ugh. Now I was just getting frustrated.

I started to walk away from him. "Can't you just leave me alone?" I said, but it came out as more of a whine and I felt stupid. I took a quick glance behind me and saw him still following me. He was taking his time, with his hands in his pockets, but the look in his eyes was almost predatory.

I realized that I was going to have to settle it then, and that it couldn't be out in the open. So I made my way around to the other side of the school which didn't have as many windows and wasn't facing the front. The area was clear of people so I finally stopped, took a deep breath, and turned around.

Only to be pushed up against the wall by Sasuke.

I caught a glimpse of his glare and then suddenly he was kissing me and my knees became jelly. But I couldn't be kissing Sasuke because that meant I was cheating and I would feel crappy about myself again.

I turned my head to the side and he moved to my neck, trailing kisses up to my ear where he paused. I was frozen, and probably couldn't move anyways with him keeping my back to the wall. Plus, I'm pretty sure my knees would give – that kiss was mind blowing. And it didn't help that next he used his ultra sexy low voice and said "Sakura."

I shivered and he could totally feel it.

"Kiss me." He said against my ear, and I shivered again. But I kept my head turned, the image of Karin's crying face was kind of scarred into my head and I got that shitty feeling when I realized what I had done to her.

He started kissing my neck again, regardless of my unresponsiveness, and when he went back to my lips I turned my head the other way so he couldn't. I could feel his smirk against my jaw, and he continued his kisses along my neck. Was this some sort of a game to him?

But then I think he realized I wasn't giving in and he said my name again, "Kiss me." It was more forceful now – his tone and his kisses.

"I can't" I replied weakly, so close to just giving in. I felt his hand run down to my waist and he replied without taking his lips from my neck.

"Why not." His tone almost had the quality of a growl, and my resolve was crumbling.

"Because…" I answered, and it was then that I realized I was sort of kissing him back. "I saw you yelling at Karin." I blurted, hoping he would stop. It only made him pause though, until he continued as if he didn't hear me.

"And…" I tried to continue, and now I realized I was fully kissing him back. And holy crap did it feel good. A week was way too long to stay away from him.

I turned my head away again, trying to maintain at least some of my dignity. "I feel bad about cheating and…" my voice faded off as he returned to my neck.

"Kiss me, Sakura." He said again and my eyes fluttered closed.

Ugh. Why does he have to be so freaking sexy!

I felt his hand on my chin and I opened my eyes to see his lips inches from mine. As he slowly tilted my face upwards I felt my eyelids droop. "Kiss me." He said, and this time his voice was smooth. But I couldn't do it because that would be cheating and I would feel crappy and I would be ruining lives and-

Crap. I couldn't stop him. I'm kissing him again. And I'm pretty sure he's holding up most of my weight because I think my knees gave out.

No. Bad Sakura! Don't give in! You can do this!

I snapped my eyes open. "Stop," I said and gave him a shove backward. It didn't move him much but at least I got his attention. And he wasn't giving me the smolder – he actually looked kind of confused.

"I can't." I said when I caught my voice.

He was silent, and then moved back to pressing me against the wall. My hands weren't doing a good job of keeping any distance because his head ducked back down and there he was again, kissing my neck.

"Why not?" He asked, his voice gruff.

I couldn't formulate any more logic. I was a gonner. I, Sakura Haruno, have been seduced by Sasuke. Which isn't a big surprise, but kind of a bummer in that I couldn't even keep my will to resist him for the sake of not being a home-wrecker.

"I…" Speaking wasn't coming naturally anymore. Especially when I think I felt his tongue on my skin for a second.

Then I remembered what I had told Karin. Sasuke passes girls on like their nothing. I was just another one of his girls who he gets with and then moves on. Could I be even considered a friend if all we do is make out? I mean, he's not even talking now. He doesn't want to talk, he just wants to mack. And granted I may have made more progress with him than others, but what have I been doing these past weeks? Sneaking behind everyone's backs, lying to my friends, getting so worked up about this guy that I'm not even in a relationship with, and cheating on Naruto and Karin... what am I doing?

Finally I blurted out my answer. The reason why I couldn't kiss him, basically summed up into five words: "Because I'm not_ with _you."

So it was pretty vague and he might not have gotten that I meant was that we weren't in a relationship and I didn't really explain all my reasons, but hey, the guy was kissing me, I was having troubles even keeping my balance and I mean it's not like –

Wait a minute. He wasn't kissing me anymore. I could feel his breath against my neck as he stood frozen. What was he doing? Was he thinking? Coming up with some sort of ultimatum?

And then I had probably one of the biggest scares of my life. As I waited in silence and fear for a reply, I saw a blonde flash out of the corner of my eye.

And there was Naruto. Only a few feet away, half hiding around the corner of the school. He saw us. He totally saw us. I think my heartbeat was so loud all three of us could hear it. Wait, was this why Sasuke stopped? But it couldn't be, because his face was on the other side of my head… so what was he doing?

Naruto and I made eye-contact. I couldn't move. I probably looked terrified out of my mind.

Why isn't Sasuke saying anything? Why isn't Naruto saying anything?

And then, Sasuke finally spoke. Again, it was low, but oddly his voice sounded… normal.

"Then be with me."

If I wasn't staring down Naruto at that moment, I probably would have died from the butterflies in my stomach. And then I would have started over-analyzing what Sasuke said and whether he meant it or was just saying it so I would kiss him. But because I was still in disbelief that we had been caught, I didn't quite register what he had just said.

Then, surprisingly, Naruto gave me this half-smile. It didn't look vengeful or cocky or even happy that he won the bet. He just smiled, shrugged, and then left.

And for some reason, I felt good about it – like he wasn't going to tell anyone. I think it's because he felt guilty for starting the bet in the first place. Or maybe he was okay that it was me and not someone else Sasuke was cheating with. Or maybe… maybe he heard what Sasuke had said.

And then _I_ remembered what Sasuke had said.

I bit my lip and turned my head back and realized his head wasn't at my shoulder anymore.

Instead, he was looking at me.

And I…

Well I grabbed his head and kissed him as hard as I could.

* * *

I was right about Naruto. He didn't tell anyone. He didn't even talk to me about it later. It was only when I saw him in the parking lot after school, after the bet had finished and he had mocked defeat, that I literally ran and jumped on him in a hug. He pretended he didn't know what was going on because he still didn't know that Hianta, who was beside him, knew about Sasuke and I.

"Hinata, you have the _best_ boyfriend _ever!_" I squealed and hugged her too. Then I skipped off to my car. I had _soooo_ much to tell her later. And she can also help me figure out what Sasuke actually _meant_ by what he said.

Oh, and I was also right about me coming down with something, because that weekend I ended up with a sore throat, and by the next Monday I barely had a voice. Needless to say, it was awkward when we got back to school the next week, because Sasuke didn't have a voice either.

**A/N Omg I finally updated. How long has it been? Lol**

**So sorry that you all had to wait this long. And sorry that this chapter is kind of not that good… I (as usual) had been super busy with no time to write, and when I did, the chapter ended up sucking. **

**So I was just like 'whatver,' scrapped everything I had written so far, and just wrote what I have now in one go. Didn't really do much revising, but this chapter was really to get that bet over with. It had been dragging on way too long haha And also, I feel like I lost of descriptiveness and detail and stuff in the process of trying to get sakura's frantic mixed up thought across.**

**And what did you guys think of Sasuke? Ooc or what this story needed?**

**Anyways, I'll update when I can – I have about a month of exams then it'll be summer and ill be able to get a faster output (hopefully).**

**Also, thanks to the reviews (they were really nice) and the emails asking if I was still going (very motivational). Thanks guys! **


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